People say that walls have ears, but what if it was the other way around? What if the walls are the ones telling the stories?
It was perhaps, fate, that brought the National Artist and acclaimed muralist Carlos “Botong” Francisco, to discover the Petroglyphs in Rizal. Because as an artist listening to a historical work-of-art, the story that it told represented the richness and color of ancient Filipino artistry.
Deemed as the first known Filipino work of art, the site was declared a National Cultural Treasure in 1996 through Presidential Decree 260 and bears the distinction of being included in the 100 Most Endangered Sites of the World by the World Monument Watch List—a project of the World Monuments Fund that calls for international attention to significant cultural and historical sites around the world.
Believed to date back to circa 3000 B.C., the petroglyphs bear 127 engravings depicting ancient rituals, harvests and hunts—a way of life that would have otherwise been forgotten had it not been preserved by their ingenuity. More than anything, it is proof of an early civilization that once inhabited what is now known as the Cradle of Philippine Art, a region that took full advantage of its dramatic landscape, rolling hills and clear skies, and used it as their inspiration for creative expression.
Today, it is the setting for the eastern highland of Havila—a community that honors the legacy left by a civilization who willingly gave the future a glimpse of their colorful past. Flanked by breathtaking views of Laguna de Baie, Mt. Banahaw and the Caldera rim of Lake Taal, it’s no surprise how the sprawling expanse of the property can cultivate creativity and artistry within the famed artistic haven of the east. Havila is a Filinvest township only 12 kilometers east of the Ortigas Business District. For more information, you may call FLI at 856-7788 or contact Havila Sales head, Ruby Rivera at 723-6515.