The 3rd Pacquiao Elorde Awards
Night
Okada Hotel, Philippines
April 30, 2026
Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea
If you’re a fan of boxing, basketball and politics here in the Philippines and abroad, chances are you’ve seen his artwork in multimedia form (physical and virtual) —charcoal, watercolor, clay, pencil, oils, for example.
He’s been liberally called the personal, de facto or resident painter for the great Emmanuel D. Pacquiao by respected broad sheets, titles he reluctantly accepts. To his friends, family and fans, however, he is simply (The Official) Jun Aquino.
(L-R)Kyle, Jun and Melody
with the late Natalia “Naty” Santiago
He discovered his passion for the arts at age 6 at his stomping grounds up in the hills of Antipolo, Rizal province. His first paint brush was a lock of his mom’s hair tied to a stick. His first medium was diluted mud on paper, he relates.
In college, he honed his skills studying Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. He was in charge of political artwork for the venerated Philippines Free Press (est. 1908) for 25 years until it closed down in the mid-1970’s.
Amidst the struggles we face in the world today due to post-pandemic woes caused by Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) — an invisible nemesis with palpable and debilitating effects on everything tangible — we can find solace in witnessing beauty through Jun Aquino’s eyes and masterful brush strokes.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
Its loveliness increases;
It will never pass into nothingness
Through his celebrated body of work, we are reminded that beauty persists through art.
Album
