Pax Pineda highlights the personal, human side of Marcelo H. Del Pilar in a new exhibit at the Ayala Museum

The Hong Kong-based Filipino curator reframes the national hero’s legacy through family, sacrifice, and the personal cost of patriotism

In order to comprehend his great-great-great-grandfather, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, who made tremendous sacrifices for his family and nation, 17-year-old Pax Pineda takes an introspective approach to Philippine history, looking beyond his sociopolitical contributions.

Pineda focuses on the human cost of Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s patriotism in his first exhibition, MARCELO: THE MAN BEHIND THE HERO (Reflections on the Legacy of Marcelo H. Del Pilar). The Diorama Experience Gallery in the 2F Lobby of the Ayala Museum will host the exhibition from September 4 to October 18, 2026.

Pax Pineda’s exhibit shows Marcelo H. Del Pilar not just as a hero, but as a person who made great sacrifices for his family and country. It reminds me that behind every historical figure is a human being with struggles, choices, and a personal story. Understanding these sacrifices makes Del Pilar’s legacy feel more meaningful and relatable.

According to Pineda, the project was conceived to examine Del Pilar outside of his legacy in the history books. “Often, history books shroud our heroes behind a dense wall of specific publications, dates, and political actions,” he says. By examining Del Pilar through family, personal loss, and sacrifice, Pineda hopes visitors can understand the humanity behind the historical figure.”

Pineda’s perspective is informed by his unusual position as both descendant and researcher. While his family connection gives him a personal stake in the story, he approached the curation as an objective historical inquiry, balancing familial passion with rigorous research to keep the exhibition historically sound and grounded in facts.

“In traditional classrooms, Lolo Marcelo might at times appear as a static figure on a page—someone who did good things for his country but lacked qualities we can relate to,” Pineda explains. “This exhibition aims to strip away that historical mystery and introduce the actual character of the man. I want visitors to see that, despite his profound, enduring love for his wife and daughters, he was willing to sacrifice his happiness. He sacrificed the comforts of family life for a slim chance at building something beautiful: the very nation we inherit today.”

Beyond foundational materials such as Dasalan at Tocsohan and La Solidaridad, the exhibit also features personal letters that reveal Del Pilar as a loving, involved father to Sofia and Anita despite the thousands of miles separating them. For Pineda, these documents challenge the idea that his absence represented a lack of love. Instead, they present a loving man who endured poverty, isolation, and homesickness in the hope of securing a better future for his children and homeland.

The exhibition also places Del Pilar’s sacrifices in a more extensive contemporary context. As a Filipino growing up in Hong Kong, Pineda sees parallels between his ancestor’s life abroad and the experiences of Filipinos in the diaspora today—people who live far from their families while working toward better lives for those at home.

In the end, Pineda wants the exhibition to inspire younger Filipinos to view history with empathy rather than memorization. “Young people understand love, homesickness, and standing up for what’s right, but they might not be able to relate to editing a reformist newspaper,” he says.

The Ayala Museum and the Philippine National Historical Commission jointly present MARCELO: THE MAN BEHIND THE HERO (Reflections on the Legacy of Marcelo H. Del Pilar).