”Bitoy Camacho. an old friend of the Marasigans. pays them a visit one afternoon after many old ages of absence. He is greeted by the two girls of Lorenzo Marasigan. a celebrated painter. who in his worsening old ages has been populating in isolation and low poorness. Recently. he finished his latest and possibly last major work of art. a picture he entitled Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. The sisters Paula and Candida welcome Bitoy. They reminisce about the yesteryear and the good old yearss. Tony Javier. a immature instrumentalist leasing a room in the house. comes place from work and is surprised. Tony confides to Bitoy his defeated attempts in converting the sisters to sell the picture to an American client.
”In the 2nd act. Don Lorenzo is visited by Manolo and Pepang–the older brother and sister of Candida and Paula. They plan to reassign their male parent to a infirmary and sell the house. They have invited Don Perico. a senator to convert their younger sisters. Don Perico entreaties to both sisters to donate the picture to the authorities in exchange for a fine-looking pension that would alleviate them of their load.
The sisters remain steadfast and apathetic during the argument the senator is forced to analyze his life recognizing excessively tardily that he has betrayed his true career as an artist-poet. Forlorn and devastated by compunction. [ the senator ] commands the sisters farewell. ”Manolo and Pepang quarrel with their younger sisters [ who ] are forced to uncover why their male parent painted the image. They had confronted him a twelvemonth earlier. and in hurting accused him of holding wasted their lives. As a reaction. he painted his last work of art and so attempted to perpetrate self-destruction. ”Alone. Candida tells Paula of her defeat in occupation seeking. Tony Javier hastes in with intelligence about his American client who has doubled his offer [ for the picture ] . In a minute of failing. Paula abandons the house and joins Tony.
”The 3rd act begins with Bitoy retrieving the Octobers of his young person and the banquet of La Naval de Manila. A group of visitants to the Marasigan place inquire about rumours that the picture and Paula have disappeared coercing Candida to acknowledge what happened and accuses herself of engineering the offense. Paula enters and admits to holding destroyed the portrayal. Crushed. Tony accuses the two adult females of reprobating him back to poorness. He leaves cussing them. In the interim. the two sisters reconcile and reaffirm their determination to stay in the house with their male parent. Bitoy in a soliloquy ends the drama with a supplication make up one’s minding to give his life to the saving of Intramuros and its historical yesteryear through art and memory. ”
