TO UNVEIL a historical painting is never without a past appeal.

In the end, spectators have unknowingly absorbed what each of the portraits of considerably great men has connoted. Leaders of all colors have been displayed, rich and poor, alive or not, 25 brilliant heads, a thousand souls to save, in one region that is Pampanga.

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Recently, Capitol has at last revealed a cultural highlight in politics by officially unveiling the portraits of the governors of Pampanga from 1896 to 2007. Hundreds have watched in awe, Capitol employees, government officials, media practitioners, families of the governors, artists.

And while influential people are well-donned upstairs to witness the event first hand, below are the nearly unseen on the spotlight, some poor men we found on street, wearing their soiled shirts, in slippers, eyeing the expensive portraits as if, with their low lives improbable to change, looking up for a political messiah.

If Edwin Morgan, a Scottish poet who said, “anything that earnestly concerns the cultural health of a nation is political” is right, then Governor Eduardo Panlilio has one relative point to earn.

On his brief welcoming talk, he gave the importance of looking back in the past as a helpful way to visualize the goodness in the future. Second only to City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez when it comes to promoting heritage, Panlilio seemingly never forgets the true value of culture in the process of human capacity to mature.

Each of the portraits upon veiling was truly worthy to watch, everybody were still and fixed their eyes above the ceiling, to captivate the hidden face behind the metaphoric maroon-colored cloth.

From each unveiling, a representative of the designated governor, usually family descendants, reads the subject’s short biography and achievements. Along with the mass were different photographers ready to click and to capture.

Quite long, since the event had to finish 22 portraits, mostly have been painted by an exclusive Kapampangan artist who also happens to be a gifted poet, recited Pampanga as “bale da reng bayani” and humorously but honestly described Panlilio, “pekamasanting at pekamaganaka.”

It was no other than Rafael Maniago, poeta laureado and renowned portrait artist.

Through the short descriptions of the governors tell an interesting statistics. Of the 25 leaders to sit in the Capitol, most are into laws, most are men, and most are rich.

More interestingly are three striking features, a woman-politician whom we owed an employee’s Christmas bonus (Juanita Nepomuceno), a highest paid lawyer-governor who at the same time made extraordinary patronage to arts and letters (Estelito Mendoza), and a man of cloth entering a highly controversial arena (Panlilio).

Enigma is never out of scene, as roughly two governors in the past, Lazaro Yambao and Gerardo Limlingan, as interim governors have little data. There were no generous records from the short stint of these “mysterious leaders” who were in the era of World War II.

Curiously, most of the governors were born in Bacolor, our former capital seat until San Fernando took over. All born in Pampanga, only one was born outside it, Jose Alejandrino, who has seen the light in Binondo, Manila.

In portrait, he appeared to have Chinese features (which is common among Kapampangans and probably given the fact of Chinese ancestry in Binondo). Alejandrino is said to be humanistic and for someone who obtained a degree in Arts as well as being a military governor, he wrote a book entitled “La Senda del Sacrificio” about his battle anecdotes.

No one could be more touching than Olimpio Guanzon of Santa Rita, who did not receive his salary instead he donated it. Guanzon came from well-heeled family. Still, what he did was extraordinary. Serving from 1922 to 1925, he is seen in the painting as a mild-looking man in black bowtie and white coat.

Two famous clans in Angeles City, Nepomucenos and Lazatins, have also had a center stage at the capitol. There is a light irony here, for how much rivals are the Mayor Blueboy Nepomuceno and Congressman Carmelo Lazatin in the city is how close the portraits of Governors Rafael Lazatin and Francisco Nepomuceno at the Capitol’s antique ceiling.

Lazatin looked good in his brown coat and matching striped tie, the governor who had an exciting marketing appeal, by giving heart-shaped objects as tokens during campaigns.

Nepomuceno, on the other hand, had an almost saintly stare that probably glowed from the Nepomucenos’ known virtuous characters.

Still, who can rival that cute smile from Governor Jose Lingad (1948-1951) in off-white barong with soft embroidery? I swear even the actor smiles of Manuel Lito Lapid and his son cannot!

On all portraits, there was a rose, too. Juanita Nepomuceno, a Nepomuceno by marriage through the governor of the surname, looked business-like in dark green coat. Although not as firm-looking as Margaret Thatcher and neither as fascinating as the portrait of Evita at Casa Rosada, Madam Juanita got one fashion sense by wearing a Chanel trademark of long-stranded pearls. Strong and feminine enough to enter politics, you better say.

And what about Estelito Mendoza, you say? Still alive and kicking in barong that day, Mendoza is truly a cultured person’s favorite. He probably is the only governor who mixed justice and arts seamlessly.

One official on his time even told that he really is an exceptional when it comes to eliminating irregularities. He has shown values in education by building schools in each barangay (how many barangay we have!) and inspired essence in terms of culture.

The portrait hanged, he said, “was taken 29 years ago.” Look how he was still in attractive barong with a genuine smile as if he just seen somebody.

I nearly asked Mr. Maniago if he had any bias on the effect of the portraits, say, on presentation of smiles, clothing, or background. For if you will notice on all the portraits, Governor Panlilio had the lightest background.

Among Ed was more seen beaming than smiling, looks 20 times more attractive by a youthful smile (how did he made that for being a man of 56?), enough to brighten the day amidst the dark clouds testing Pampanga.

Twenty five governors, one mega province, 113 years after. Do not forget such event.