After graduating from the University of the Philippines with a degree in fine arts, he studied European and Philippine masters on his own. His first exhibition was held in 1993, and he built on some of the recognition he received there by exhibiting and traveling more widely in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Garibay often paints ordinary people in scenes of political, religious, and social complexity, where controversial issues of justice and truth are presented vigorously and colorfully.