Geologist ‘mines’ art gems from rich lode

Manuel “Nonoy” Gamboa was only 56 years old when he decided to retire from his job as senior executive assistant to the president of San Miguel Packaging Products.

It was at San Miguel Corp. (SMC) where he helped discover several mines and established several mining companies for its packaging and glass production needs.

The great outdoors was the laboratory for the geology graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP). Climbing mountains, crossing countless rivers, digging the earth for precious minerals and setting up camps in unheard of places not only in the country but abroad occupied his time in his younger years. His pioneer work exploring for silica sand in Cam Ranh Bay later paved the way for the establishment of two SMC glass companies in  Vietnam.

“My exploration days in the mid 60s was a baptism of fire that introduced me to the hazards of the trade,” he recalled. “Those were turbulent times. Our mineral resource targets were directed towards discovery and eventual mining operations. Our target areas, therefore, were the hinterlands where we were exposed to unknown terrain and hostile natives and rebels. I was young and single then and I was imbued with an adventurous spirit and optimism.”

“My mind set at that time was that any mineral resource on the ground left unexploited serves no purpose, and therefore is considered waste. San Miguel sent me to the Asian Institute of Management and Wharton where I was able to make use of this orientation in business,” added Nonoy, who was once president of the Geological Society of the Philippines.

Though he spent 34 years in the corporate world,  Nonoy  felt there were more challenges to be met. So instead of fully enjoying the time after retirement, he formed a company with other fellow retirees that was still involved in mining. But after two years, the company closed shop.

That was when he decided to pursue another field. Even when he was still studying at UP, he would find himself doodling or scribbling during classes. This skill would be a big help when he would make mineral configurations and do mapping and surveying.

In New York City, he enrolled in a short course at the Art Students League. There he learned the rudiments of color, anatomy and composition and most important of all, how to be a professional painter.

Nonoy always goes back to his exploration days for subjects,  starting from his first job prospecting for iron ore deposits for Iligan Integrated Steel Mills and then various minerals for  A. Soriano Corp. Exploration.

While traveling from one of end of the country to the other, he took note of the picturesque scenery he came across: Women sitting on stones by the river, young boys running in the open fields, young swains serenading a barrio lass, dancers. The first medium was watercolor before he shifted to oil.

In all his paintings, there is a recurring theme—happy people, like the dancers he has often depicted.

“It’s always challenging to paint people. You have to capture the emotions, the likeness and get into that energy,” says Nonoy who does not exhibit an artist’s temperament but a methodical and an even-tempered disposition.

He attributes this to his training as a geologist and as a community worker setting up livelihood projects in mine sites, and as a businessman.

“Geology and painting are worlds apart, yet similar in a way. Looking for that mother lode in mining and looking for that ‘something’ in what you are going to paint require dedication. It is like extracting materials from the earth. Whether it is gold, silver or copper, you are after the quality and purity of the product,” Nonoy said.

Among the local visual artists he admires, Nonoy singles out Emong Borlongan as his favorite. “Borlongan’s simplistic figurative style is imbued with social commentary that leaves an impression on the viewer,” he said.

When he was starting, his works were influenced by Rosseau, Modigliani, Degas and Gauguin.

To date, Nonoy has mounted 24 exhibits here and abroad. During  the UP Centennial celebrations, he was the only participant who was not a College of Fine Arts and Architecture graduate whose work was included in the Centennial book “100 Years.” He is a member of the Society of Philippine-American Artists based in New York City and the Art Association of the Philippines.

Nonoy is back in harness as a consultant for mining firms seeking experts in the Philippines. But he is still actively painting, even joining art competitions.

“Listen and learn. And don’t forget that the quest for quality and excellence will always put you on the right track in anything you do,” said Nonoy.