TACLOBAN City – A student who has been making portraits using leaves during the lockdown has created a leaf art to pay tribute to the late former president Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino lll.
Ryan Rio Legatub Managaysay, a 22-year-old Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education - Social Studies student of Samar State University from Tarangnan, Samar used 'salikupkop' leaves (Algoamorpha quercifolia), a medicinal fern, also known as basket fern in English to create the leaf art for PNoy with his parents, former President Corazon Aquino and the late Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr.

He said he wanted to pay tribute to the former president for the great things he has done for the country.
"Ang kanyang administrasyon po ay naging government for others because he cared for our country. Siya po ang nag-apruba ng K-12 program upang mas maging mataas ang kalidad ng edukasyon ng ating bansa at ako'y kabilang po sa first batch nito at naging malaking tulong po ito sa akin," he shared.
Ryan's knack for visual arts was discovered by his professor when he posted his work on social media.
Since then, he would regularly be commissioned to create art pieces that helps augment their family's income.
His artworks include portraits of Pope Francis, President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Manny Pacquiao, Mayor Isko Moreno, among others.
Last year, he also received a letter of gratitude from the President for the leaf portrait he sent to him as a birthday gift.
The president said he was impressed by Ryan's creativity by carving images on basket fern leaves.
Recently, Ryan has leveled up his skills by using the small "malunggay" (moringa) leaves to make portraits of Jose Rizal and a mother and daughter.