Tapasero wins Negros-wide Cadiz art tilt

CADIZ CITY, Negros Occidental — A 23-year-old tapasero, or sugarcane cutter, was named grand winner of the Negros Island Region-wide painting competition in Cadiz City on July 1.

Arby Villaruz, a native of Barangay Jerusalem in Cadiz City, won the PHP 100,000 grand prize for his painting, “Paglaum,” or “Hope.”

The competition was part of the 59th Cadiz City Charter Day celebration, held from June 27 to July 5.

Cadiz marks its Charter Day every July 4, the date it was inaugurated as a city in 1967 under Republic Act No. 4894.

Villaruz, the eldest of four siblings, did not go to college because of poverty.

Instead, he worked odd jobs before becoming a sugarcane cutter in his barangay.

With no formal training in painting, Villaruz never imagined that his art would lead him to the biggest win of his life.

For Villaruz, the victory marked a meaningful detour after years of hardship, sacrifice, and quiet persistence.

It was his first major triumph after four years of immersing himself in painting, an endeavor others had dismissed as boring.

At first, Villaruz doubted his “obra maestra.”

He thought his work was not as striking as the hundreds of other entries in the competition.

The judges, however, unanimously chose his piece as the grand winner and praised its execution and emotional depth.

For the judges, Villaruz’s work reflected the “script of his dream.”

The painting tells a story about a dream bigger than one’s circumstances.

It is not just an artwork but a dream rendered on canvas.

Long before applause echoed across Cadiz Arena and before the PHP 100,000 prize reached his hands, Villaruz had already endured battles no audience had seen.

For Villaruz, poverty often demanded impossible choices.

Unable to afford college, he worked at construction sites and in sugarcane fields to help provide for his family.

Before adulthood fully arrived, he had become the family’s breadwinner.

His dreams were postponed but never abandoned.

A different calling arrived unexpectedly in 2023, when Villaruz discovered painting not only as a hobby but as a purpose.

What began as curiosity slowly became conviction.

He devoted himself to learning and improving every brushstroke by joining competitions across Cadiz City and Negros Occidental.

In some contests, he finished as a runner-up.

In many others, he lost.

Each loss, however, became another canvas on which patience was painted.

On his fourth major attempt, everything changed.

The 59th Cadiz City Charter Day Celebration Negros Island Region Painting Competition became Villaruz’s moment.

For many, it was a victory.

For his family, it was a reward for years of silent sacrifices.

When his name was announced, tears replaced words.

Pride filled the venue as his parents and siblings watched the young man who once carried sacks of sugarcane carry a trophy.

It was a scene worthy of a movie, with every emotion real.

His winning piece, “Paglaum,” speaks quietly but powerfully.

The painting portrays a young girl in a school uniform standing before a modest home with a galvanized iron roof and weathered bamboo walls.

Unlike works that romanticize landscapes or everyday rural life, Villaruz’s painting tells a more intimate story.

It is the story of children who dream despite poverty, families who persevere despite hardship, and ordinary people whose greatest wealth is hope itself.

For Villaruz, the painting is the “script of his dream.”

Through his work, he sought to ensure that every brushstroke reflected lives that continue to fight through uncertainty.

Every color carries the weight of dreams that refuse to disappear, even when reality says otherwise.

Villaruz said “paglaum” is not only about his own journey.

It also belongs to every worker who wakes before sunrise, every parent who sacrifices for their children, every student who studies despite empty pockets, and every dreamer who keeps walking even when the destination seems distant.

Above all, Villaruz’s masterpiece reminds viewers that hope is never measured by the size of a house, the amount of money in one’s pocket, or the opportunities one receives.

Rather, hope is found in moving forward and using one’s skills to transform sacrifice into real wins in life.

Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. lauded Villaruz for creating a meaningful art piece.

“Heartwarming to note, indeed,” the mayor said.

Escalante said that as Cadiz City’s annual painting competition evolves, participating artists from across the country continue to elevate their works.

“Beyond colors and strokes, they also paint unheard or unknown stories that tell the beauty of humanity worthy to be told and retold,” he said.

Other winners included Francis Danielle Fajardo of Bacolod City, who placed second.

Angelico Abo of Silay City, Marjune Escaran of Manapla, and Emarie Andalajao of Pontevedra placed third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.