31/08/2026
Cluster 6’s Padian sa MSU Entry: A Tribute to Meranaw Artists
The Padian sa MSU unfurled its vibrant colors to mark the 65th Anniversary of Mindanao State University (MSU). This celebration is at once a cultural showcase and a lively marketplace, where the finest creations from MSU campuses gather under one sky. Nestled prominently in front of the Antonio Isidro Hall on 2nd Street, MSU Campus, it honors the legacy of Dr. Antonio S. Isidro, Sr., the university’s first President, whose name the hall proudly bears.
The Padian sa MSU spreads out in 13 distinct clusters, each a mosaic of offices and colleges. This modern assembly calls to mind the old sultanates of the Pat a Phangampong sa Ranaw. In those earlier days, a singular, majestic Torogan rose at the heart of the community, serving as the grand stage for cultural, social, economic, entertainment, educational, athletic, and religious gatherings. Today, the Padian sa MSU offers a graceful assembly of 13 Torogan-like structures, standing shoulder to shoulder, as though all the Royal Houses of Lanao had converged in one sweeping procession.
These Torogans blend age-old heritage with contemporary flair. Imagine the nostalgic strains of the Kolintang Ensemble performed by the Torogan sa Pantaw a Mareg Cluster drifting through the Padian sa MSU, while just a few steps away, the beat of modern music hums in the background. The marigays of the various Torogans brim with Meranaw delicacies such as dodol, browa, tiyathag, and lokatis, while other clusters entice visitors with modern sweets such as revel bars, cookies, brownies, and macarons. The offerings are not purely traditional; they merge the old and the new, enriched by flavors and ideas from Luzon, Visayas, and other tribes of Mindanao. Everywhere, colors burst from mamandiyang, ampas, lalansay, balod, komentay, and okir designs—an onslaught of patterns so striking they threaten to fill your mobile phone’s storage with photos.
The atmosphere captures the spirit of both Pakaradian and Fiesta, reshaped into a new shared MSU community experience known as Padian sa MSU 2026. It feels like breathing life back into the old Meranaw tradition of kaphapanika, when neighbors would casually drop by to spend time together. In our age of screens and instant messages—chats, texts, and video calls at all hours except during pesky power outages—this habit has nearly slipped away. At the Padian, people from different clusters visit one another, trading stories, admiring displays, and, in today’s slang, sharing Marites (gossip). The fiesta mood unfurls through komentay or buntings overhead, while a constant stream of visitors wanders by for pictures, selfies, free food, and a range of items to buy.
Cluster 6, composed of the offices OEVP, OVPAF, OVCAF, AO, ASD, CBO, CD, COA, UHVL, IALO, PPD, UBO, UPO, and UQAO, presents the timeless grace of traditional Meranaw homes, adorned with grand gadors, baors, and tabaks. Visitors stepping through the entrance are welcomed by a pair of towering wooden gadors, umbrellas stacked artfully like a playful sculpture. In keeping with long-held customs, and just like in many Meranaw and Asian households, shoes are left at the doorway of this reimagined Torogan/Bahay Kubo blend. Yet what truly defines Cluster 6 is its heartfelt homage to the Meranaw Artist—the okir carver, the painter, and the diorama maker—whose work fills every corner with character and memory.
Cluster 6 proudly highlights the vivid talents of four living Meranaw artists. At the forefront is the youngest, Yamen Saripada Ampuan from Wato. His moving depiction of the original administration building of Mindanao State University—now replaced by Alonto Hall—brings back an earlier era with remarkable accuracy. Although he was born long after the building’s prime, Yamen’s piece connects deeply with those who once saw it standing, before it was sadly demolished. Alumni recall lining up for admission, searching for their names on bulletin boards, and knowing exactly where the old Accounting and Cashier’s offices were. For many MSU graduates, the old administration building is a landmark of their academic life, the place where their educational journey began and concluded, as they collected their transcripts before returning to their hometowns.
The diorama was lovingly created as a gift for Rufino Ignacio, the first Vice President for Academic Affairs, who served during President Isidro’s time and later returned to MSU after retirement in Seattle, Washington, to continue teaching at the College of Engineering. Ignacio, or Sir Ruffy as MSUans fondly called him, believed deeply in the grand social experiment that is MSU. He cherished the University and the Meranaw people, and his dreams and convictions for MSU—its founding purpose and its meaning for him and for the nation—remained firm across more than sixty years of dedication. His affection and loyalty to the institution were clear in the way he devoted his final days and strength to MSU. The diorama is currently on display for the 65th Foundation Day celebration before it travels to Seattle, Washington, as a keepsake for Sir Ruffy’s family, who graciously shared him with MSU despite the distance. Ampuan also crafted the largest of the three miniature Torogans, masterfully combining different materials, adhesive, and lighting. Inside the Torogan, one can find tiny kantir, tabos, and cabinets. His skills reach far beyond dioramas; he is also a muralist, a painter, and an okir carver whose work appears in contemporary displays at weddings, school events, and coronations.
The other two makers of miniature Torogans are Danny Arumpac and Aquil Sarip, both hailing from the lively community of Barangay Limbo, Wato Balindong. Danny Arumpac, recipient of the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) Gawad Gabay Para sa Katutubo Award, shapes his miniature Torogan from fine dried tree strands, guiding his blade pen with the confidence of a seasoned artist. Staying true to traditional Torogan construction, his works come together without nails, held instead by the quiet strength of wooden pegs. In contrast, Aquil Sarip builds his Torogan from pristine white Narra, supported by sturdy mahogany posts standing like guardians. His Torogan features a balcony, echoing the grandeur of the Mala a Walays of old, known for their expansive Torogan-like homes with balconies. “We crafted miniature Torogans because they embody both our narrative and our heritage. Our aim is to keep Meranaw arts alive, not just as echoes of the past but as a vibrant living tradition,” Arumpac shared, proudly presenting his hand-carved miniature Torogan, joined by wooden pegs just as their forebears once did.
And then there is Edris Tamano, a true luminary. His paintings are a stage for Meranaw okir and the iconic Sarimanok. Tamano stands as the quintessential Meranaw artist: poet, okir craftsman, storyteller, genealogy enthusiast, writer, teacher, and historian. Trained as an architect, he spent much of his professional life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before returning home upon retirement. He is also the youngest brother of MSU’s second president, Dr. Mauyag Tamano. Edris often creates his own illustrations of Meranaw stories and legends, such as Mongki and Padol, Bantogen, and Princess Lawanen. He holds a deep command of okir—its meanings, history, styles, and names.
On display at Cluster 6 are eight of his miniature okir paintings and his distinctive take on the well-loved cultural emblem, Sarimanok. Tamano, who hails from Taraka, stands in a class of his own among Meranaw artists—equally at ease among traditional practitioners and modern artists, as well as among academics and historians. While the four Meranaw artists from three generations are just some of the many living creators, Tamano carries the rare honor of having learned directly from the earliest Meranaw artisans of the past, who have since passed on. He remains one of the most senior artists still living and actively practicing his cultural heritage. Cluster 6 celebrates the 65th Foundation Day of Mindanao State University and the Meranaw Artist.
Happy 65th Foundation Day, Mindanao State University!!!
