Metrobank Foundation celebrates emerging Filipino artists and opens TRAVERSE: Creativity in Motion, a free exhibition featuring the awardees, finalists, and semi-finalists of this year’s MADE competition.
Several emerging Filipino artists were honored at The Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M) on September 17 during the 2026 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) awarding ceremony. Presented by the Metrobank Foundation, the occasion marked the 42nd year of one of the country’s long-running programs dedicated to discovering and supporting new artistic talent.
More than 600 entries from across the Philippines were submitted to this year’s competition. Under an open theme, artists were able to choose the ideas and experiences they wanted to explore through the 2026 categories of Oil or Acrylic on Canvas, Mixed Media, and Sculpture.
“Their works remind us that Filipino artists continue to engage deeply with the world around them and contribute fresh perspectives to the conversations shaping our society,” Metrobank Foundation president Philip Francisco U. Dy said in his welcome remarks regarding the 2026 MADE awardees. “Together, they remind us that art remains a powerful way of helping us better understand ourselves, one another, and the society we aspire to build.”
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Recognizing The 2026 MADE Awardees
Vince Martin A. Macatangay received the Grand Award for Oil or Acrylic on Canvas for “Sonder: Sa Bawat Mundong ’Di Ko Matahak,” while Kennette A. Luague won the Grand Award for Mixed Media for “Taya.” Aldrin B. Olaguir was named the Grand Awardee for Sculpture for “Hinahalal, Binabanal.”
Special Citations were presented to Raphael Daniel O. David for Sculpture for “Mirror of Consequence: Millisecond Before Light” and Richard D. Montero for Mixed Media for “Puno ng Kwento.” In the Oil or Acrylic on Canvas category, Arvin C. Cantalejo Jr. and Artgiveson C. Arreglado received Special Citations for “Echoes Beneath My Skin” and “To Weather With You,” respectively.
The 2026 MADE awardees were selected by a panel chaired by sculptor Reginald Yuson. Joining him were painter and former MADE awardee Mark Andy Garcia; mixed-media artist Ling Quisumbing Ramilo; curator and UP Diliman associate professor May Lyn Cruz; art writer and De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde Creative Industries Program OIC Lara Acuin; Vinyl Gallery co-founder and co-director Gaby dela Merced; and CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division OIC Rica Estrada.
Each grand awardee received ₱350,000 in cash, a ₱150,000 scholarship to the Eskinita Art Residency Program in 2027, and the copper “More” trophy created by artist and 2007 MADE awardee Juan Sajid. Each Special Citation recipient received ₱100,000 and the same trophy.
“Beyond the competition, MADE continues to create opportunities for artists to connect, collaborate, and grow,” Dy said. Among these initiatives was a friendship mural in Shanghai by MADE artists, created to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China.
Inside The 2026 MADE Awardees And Finalists Exhibit, TRAVERSE: Creativity In Motion
The awarding ceremony also marked the opening of TRAVERSE: Creativity in Motion, a free exhibition featuring nearly 100 works by the 2026 MADE awardees, finalists, and semifinalists of this year’s competition.
Curated by May Lyn Cruz, the exhibition considers the different paths artists take as they build their practices and make sense of the world around them. Its title presents creativity as a form of movement: crossing boundaries, navigating challenges, and continuing toward new possibilities.
The works are organized into six thematic sections. Leading the Way gathers 16 entries that venture into unfamiliar creative territory, while To Cross, To Overcome looks at Filipino determination across different circumstances. Surveying the Social Landscape examines the political and cultural conditions that shape everyday life.
Urban Navigation turns to the contradictions of the city, moving between congestion and beauty, struggle and community. More personal experiences come to the fore in Inward Odyssey, while Paths of Promise considers how youth, family, and faith can shape visions of the future.
An accompanying exhibition guide maps these six sections as stops along a journey, which visitors can mark as they move through the galleries. The routes show that there’s no single way to understand contemporary Philippine art or the experiences and questions that give rise to it.
“TRAVERSE: Creativity in Motion” runs from September 18 to October 15, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M), MK Tan Centre, 30th Street corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. It’s open Tuesday to Friday from 11 AM to 6 PM and Saturday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM. Admission is free. For more information and the latest updates, visit Metrobank Art and Design Excellence’s official Instagram.
Banner photo features the seven semi-finalists of MADE 2026, courtesy of the Metrobank Foundation
Frequently Asked Questions
The Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) competition is a Metrobank Foundation program that discovers and supports emerging Filipino artists. Now in its 42nd year, the 2026 competition received more than 600 entries in Oil or Acrylic on Canvas, Mixed Media, and Sculpture.
The 2026 MADE grand awardees are Vince Martin A. Macatangay for Oil or Acrylic on Canvas, Kennette A. Luague for Mixed Media, and Aldrin B. Olaguir for Sculpture. Special Citations were given to Raphael Daniel O. David, Richard D. Montero, Arvin C. Cantalejo Jr., and Artgiveson C. Arreglado.
TRAVERSE: Creativity in Motion is the MADE 2026 exhibition curated by May Lyn Cruz. It features nearly 100 paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works by the awardees, finalists, and semifinalists of this year’s competition.
TRAVERSE: Creativity in Motion is on view until October 18, 2026, at The Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M).
Yes. Admission to TRAVERSE: Creativity in Motion is free. Visitors may also arrange free guided tours through The Metropolitan Museum of Manila’s official website.
