Bought for just ₱150, this Anita Magsaysay-Ho painting is now worth ₱15 million

The painting was part of Magsaysay-Ho’s first solo exhibition held at the United States Information Library in Manila in early 1946.

An artwork by National Artist Anita Magsaysay-Ho that once sold for only ₱150 is now being offered for ₱15 million at León Gallery’s Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2026.

The extraordinary increase in value was highlighted by heritage advocate Lisa Guerrero Nakpil, who shared images showing the painting’s original listing price from a 1946 exhibition catalog alongside its current auction estimate.

The painting, titled “In the Farm / Digging Camotes / Family,” was completed in 1944 and measures 18 by 24 inches. According to León Gallery, it was part of Magsaysay-Ho’s first solo exhibition held at the United States Information Library in Manila in early 1946.

A surviving copy of the exhibition catalog lists the work under the title “Digging Camotes” with a selling price of just ₱150. Today, nearly 80 years later, the same painting has become one of the highlights of León Gallery’s auction, carrying a valuation of ₱15 million.

The work comes from the former Benguet Corporation collection and has a distinguished provenance. It was documented in Galo Ocampo’s 1946 publication “Anita Magsaysay: A Liberated Artist,” which accompanied the artist’s debut solo exhibition. It was also featured in later retrospective exhibitions and publications dedicated to Magsaysay-Ho’s career.

Known for her iconic depictions of Filipino women and rural life, Magsaysay-Ho remains one of the most celebrated figures in Philippine modern art. Her works are highly sought after by collectors and museums, with major pieces regularly commanding millions of pesos at auction.

The painting’s dramatic rise in value reflects not only the enduring appeal of Magsaysay-Ho’s art but also the growing appreciation for Philippine cultural treasures.

For many observers, however, the story behind the artwork is what makes it remarkable: a painting that could have been purchased for ₱150 in postwar Manila is now valued at an amount that can buy a luxury home.

The Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2026 takes place on June 13 at 2 PM at León Gallery’s Eurovilla 1 headquarters in Makati City, where collectors will have the chance to bid on one of the artist’s earliest known masterpieces.

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