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Wilfredo Layug
Wilfredo Tadeo Layug (born December 05, 1959), more popularly known as Willy Layug, is a Filipino artist. He is a sculptor and “santero” or santo maker. Acknowledged as “the number one in the country in the arena of ecclesiastical art” by National Artist Napoleon Abueva.

Biography and Career Wilfredo Layug, also called Willy, was born on December 5, 1959 in Betis, Pampanga to Rita Tadeo Layug. He started sculpting from clay mud when he was just 8 years old in a small talyer in the neighborhood. He was a scholar of former Mayor of Guagua, Baby Eusoof in his High School years and at the same time, a working student under the supervision of Apung Juan Castro, a notable sculptor that time, and Pedro Datu was the time he honed his talent in sculpting and drawing.

The 14 year old Willy was brought to former Pampanga Governor Estelito Mendoza and was entitled a scholarship grant for a college degree in either Fine Arts or Architecture. In 1978, Willy went to the University of Santo Tomas and took B.S. Architecture and Fine Arts major in Painting as former Governor Mendoza’s scholar. He became a working student since he was the breadwinner in his family. In 1981, the death of his mother made him contemplate on whether he shall continue his degree in UST. In that same year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo proposed restoration of the Fort Santiago. Willy was commissioned by Director Esperanza Gatbonton to simulate the damaged relief sculpture of Matamoros, based from the original bas-relief on the pediment of the gate of Intramuros.

Willy was able to finish his thesis and academic requirements in UST but was not able to attend the graduation exercises because it was the same day as his marriage to his long time girlfriend, Florentina Canasa. After graduation, like many other artists, he experienced some difficulties in his career.

In the midst of the People Power Revolution in 1986, Willy and his family sustained themselves with kangkong that they get from their backyard. This was the turning point in his life, he had lots of family problems but is low on budget because projects were elusive. In 1989, he was given a gallery at Casa Manila by Condrado Escudero (owner of Villa Escudero). Through that gallery, he was exposed to the society especially priests and bishops. This connection led him to meet the then secretary of Jaime Cardinal Sin, Bishop Socrates B. Villegas who was able to introduce him to the cardinal for future potential projects. Through Caritas Manila, Cardinal Sin offered him P100,000 as an investment, out of that P100,000 offer, Willy only received P30,000.

Because of his financial increase, he was able to buy a lot, which he used as a workshop and officially named it Betis Galleria.

In 1999, he decided to go to Europe with his wife to gain more knowledge about European artistry. Some of the places he visited were Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Poland. When he came back to the Philippines, he brought home the “realism” style of Europe. Before he went back o Europe in 2003, he was awarded as the “2002 Most Outstanding Kapangpangan Award in the field of ecclesiastical art”