Castrillo sculpture to be part of Marian Shrine in Batangas

MANILA, Philippines - National Artist Ed Castrillo is hard at work for his biggest masterpiece so far – the statue of the Virgin Mary that will be part of the Marian shrine being erected in Batangas province, according to a report in GMA’s 24 Oras. In the report, GMA’s Raffy Tima said the statue, once completed, will measure 200 feet in height, or equivalent to a 30-storey building, and will be twice the size of the famous Statue of Liberty in New York City. The face alone measures 30 feet, the television report said. "This will, somehow, maybe my valedictory kind of contribution to my Country and to God," said Castrillo, who has been famous for his cut-and-welded brass medium since the Sixties. Among Castrillo’s other masterpieces are the People Power Monument in along Edsa, the Bonifacio Shrine in Manila City, and the sculpture in the main entrance of the GMA Network building in Quezon City. A foreign company will help Castrillo in creation of the Marian shrine, which is funded by the Mary Mother of the Poor, the foundation established by healing priest Fr. Fernando Suarez. The company, the television report said, will be responsible for the main 70-meter statue that will be placed on the top of the 100-meter shrine. The Mary Mother of the Poor said this was because Castrillo’s material will be “very costly” to maintain since the location of the shrine is close to the sea. "Because of the material, we found out it will susceptible to, of course, to the elements of the sea. It will be very costly to maintain it. But I'm sure that father ( Suarez) will find a place in the shrine to put the image," said Architect Mangio, chairman of construction committee of the Mary Mother of the Poor. Joey Velsaco, sculptor of the Marian statue prototype, described the materials used by the foreign firm as concrete, light, and more appropriate for taller structures. - GMANews.TV