MANILA, Philippines - If this year?s Philippine art trek in Singapore is any indication, Philippine art has firmly entrenched itself in the international imagination.

Held every June, the month-long Art Trek is perhaps the single largest event of Philippine art outside the Philippines.

This year, its second, the Art Trek was organized by the Philippine Embassy in Singapore, led by Ambassador Belen Anota, in cooperation with several art galleries in the city-state.

This year?s festivities showcase a diverse collection of works by at least 40 Filipino artists?from the masters to the most exciting emerging names in the scene?in various venues across Singapore.

Mia Y. Marchadesch, director of marketing and corporate relations of Galerie Joaquin Singapore, a gallery devoted entirely to contemporary Philippine art, said, ?One of the most significant developments of this year?s Art Trek, at least for Galerie Joaquin, is the amount of interest it generated among the Filipino community here as well as the non-Filipino audience. It was incredibly encouraging.?

Gallery partner Jack Teotico said this year?s festival aimed ?to present a range of what?s being produced in the Philippines by highly original artists, each with a distinct voice, so to speak.?

Galerie Joaquin Singapore in Regent Hotel of Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road organized three of the Art Trek?s dozen or so shows, including the widely applauded opener on June 5 at the Singapore Management University?s art gallery.

The show titled ?Glass and Brass? featured Ramon Orlina?s new collection of sculpted glass and hand-carved crystal, as well as brass works by Michael Cacnio (organized by Singapore-based gallery Utterly Art).

?Orlina has had a number of large works on display in Singapore, including a large window installation in the Singapore Arts Museum,? said Marchadesch, ?so the decision to make his works the anchor show was perfect. His works hold almost universal appeal. The people who came to the opening night were all familiar with his classic emerald glass pieces, and so they were all happily surprised by Orlina?s new hues such as azure and gold.?

Two other shows organized by Galerie Joaquin?Lydia Velasco?s ?Idyllic Summer? and Dominic Rubio?s ?Old Asia,? which opened simultaneously on June 7 in Galerie Joaquin?featured two artists who have likewise been enjoying a measure of success in the Singapore and elsewhere in the region.

Velasco?s works, for instance, of strong women exuding an earthy sensuality, resonate with Indonesian and Malaysian collectors, some of whom acquire Velasco?s large pieces at regional auctions such as Sotheby?s, Masterpiece, Larasati and Borobudur.

Rubio?s paintings, on the other hand, are particularly appealing to the large expatriate Filipino community in the city-state.

?What?s exceptional about Rubio?s works is while they are firmly rooted in a particular time and place?the Philippines in past decades?they hold a very contemporary feel,? says Teotico.

?Rubio?s detail-rich works of artfully disproportionate characters in Philippine scenes evoke both nostalgia and, to a certain extent, a kind of nationalism.?

A fourth show, organized in cooperation with Singapore-based Lukisan Gallery and which opened on June 4, featured the works of abstract artist Carlo Magno, whose sand-textured collection included a few large pieces with figurative elements.

?Apart from their originality and intricateness of their production, they carry great emotional weight,? said Marchadesch.

?For some people, Magno?s works are thought-provoking and very intellectual, but for me the first connection with Magno?s painting is on the level of instinct. You feel it first.?