Maui and Molokaʻi artist Philip Sabado honors his Ilokano roots in this warm, glowing work. Two sisters appear with the rice harvest in hand, ready to return to their village after a day in the fields. A woven basket overflows with golden stalks; traditional dress and the light of late day speak to both labor and beauty.
Sabado was born and raised in the plantation village of Maunaloa, Molokaʻi. His parents, Felix and Severina Sabado, came from the Ilocos region of the Philippines — part of the larger story of Filipino families who made Hawaiʻi home.
The happiness on the sisters’ faces speaks to a way of life rooted in land, family, and shared work. In many communities, the whole village turned out for the rice harvest — united in the spirit of bayanihan.
This painting is displayed in the bahay kubo beneath a memorial in appreciation of Bartolome Santiago (Tata Bart).
On display inside the bahay kubo at Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens, ʻĪao Valley, Maui. Scan the QR code beside this work — or share this page — for the same story in your hand.