In 2021, while most of the world remained on lockdown, an idea brewed in the minds of a few Lego enthusiasts in the Philippines. In the shadows of the pandemic, with lockdown rules slowly relaxing, this group—Pinoy Lego User Group (PinoyLUG)—started working on this idea, which finally saw light at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in April 2022.
Dubbed as “Project Amorsolo,” featuring three of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo’s more famous works (“Dalagang Bukid,” “Bayanihan,” and “Early Traders”), it has since left the halls of the CCP to be exhibited in several malls in the country. This time, over two years since the Lego Amorsolo’s were made, PinoyLUG has taken another step in promoting the modern masterpieces.
In partnership with the Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation Inc., PinoyLUG and New Era Philippines have released three uniquely designed caps that feature the three Lego versions of the Amorsolo paintings. These caps form the sixth and final collection in the series of special releases from New Era Philippines in celebration of its 70th anniversary.
During a special evening launch last Dec. 12, the caps and the Amorsolo Lego artworks were put on display at the SM Aura Premier mall at BGC. This was open to the public until Dec. 15.
That evening, special commemorative box sets that included all three caps and signed by Amorsolo’s daughter Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo were put on silent auction. In all, there are 10 of these box sets, each with a P25,000 starting bid. All proceeds from the sale of these sets will go to the Amorsolo Foundation. As of writing, seven of the box sets have been sold.
Following a black motif, with elements taken from each of the three masterpieces, feature the 59FIFTY 70th Anniversary logo of New Era, the signature of Fernando Amorsolo, and PinoyLUG’s logo. Two of these, the “Early Traders” and the “Dalagang Bukid” caps, feature a material made from palm trees called raffia fiber, which resembles the look and feel of the traditional banig made from abaca.
Available at New Era Philippines stores and online, these are priced at P3,895 for the “Bayanihan” cap, P4,495 for the “Early Traders” cap, and P4,595 for the “Dalagang Bukid” cap.