No place in the Philippines comes to the minds of the Filipinos when it comes to wood carving than Paete in Laguna. In fact, the name of the town Paete was derived from the word “paet,” (or pait) which is the local counterpart of chisel, the principal tool for wood carving, in the Filipino vernacular. The place has produced a great quantity of statues and other wood carving products; these products, usually found in churches, have reached the different places of the Philippines, and even outside the country. Truly, the people in Paete have mastered and really dedicated their lives perfecting their centuries-old craft, which ultimately culminated to the declaration of the town as the “Carving Capital of the Philippines” back in 2005.
The easiest way to get to Paete is through the Manila East Road. With almost no traffic, and one of the longest stretch of the picturesque scenery to revel the traveler’s eyes upon, the road trip through the national highway is an exciting experience in itself. This would take almost two hours of driving. To those who would rather skip the scenery, however, an alternate route is through South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) where the travel less scenic, but with a smoother ride and more commercially-developed pit stops.
Should you take the former, you would pass through Rizal province towns of Antipolo, Teresa and Morong, and then to Tanay. From there, the meandering mountain roads of Rizal are through, and you would now pass through the lakeshore towns of Laguna: Mabitac, Pangil, Pakil and then, finally Paete.
One of the must-see places in Paete is the Church of Santiago Apostol, a declared National Historical Site. The first church was erected in 1646 but was destroyed years later. Due to earthquakes, the succeeding churches entrenched on the same location were also damaged. The now Church of Santiago Apostol has endured a number of earth tremors and has been restored several times since its building in 1939. Despite the damages of the earthquakes, the church is still filled with paintings and, of course, wood carvings that Paeteños themselves collectively made many decades, even centuries, ago, including the beautifully carved retablo. It boasts a number of religious icons; some of these statuaries were made quite a lot of time ago.
The illustrious Paete-born artist Jose Dans, known for mixing pulverized volcanic ashes with color pigments and using cat’s hair as paintbrush, was the one responsible for some large murals of the church, especially the image of Saint Christopher clad in European clothing, and the Langit, Lupa at Impierno.
Wood carving is what the Paeteños are good at. In fact, many churches in the Philippines have at least an image carved in Paete. Even the famous churches in the world have carved statues made in Paete such as the Crucified Christ at the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This just illustrates the caliber and quality of Paete wood carvings, which is, to put things simply, world class. The wooden toy yoyo is also believed to be first made in Paete. The traditional Filipino footwear bakya has further become popular as different designs are introduced on the wooden sole of the foot wear adding more appeal.
The art of papier-mâché is also at its best in Paete. If not wood carvers, Paeteños make toys or decorations made of papier-mâché. Some of the houses of the Paeteños become their workplace for the papier-mâché business, where they make toys, masks, Christmas decorations and displays, mostly ordered by clients.
Aside from wood carving and papier-mâché arts, Paete is visited by tourists during the Holy Week. Perhaps the most anticipated celebration in the town is the Lenten Season where local and foreign tourists witness the procession of life-size images on Holy Wednesday. Paete has also its moving dioramas that re-enact three biblical scenes at three different places – public market, Plaza Edesan and town plaza.
On Maundy Thursday, the senakulo is re-enacted at the town plaza. Many people also start trekking to Tatlong Krus to stay until Good Friday. Before reaching Tatlong Krus, visitors may opt to drop by the Matabungka Falls and relish the picturesque view of the falls. They can also swim into the water and feel the cascading water of the Fflls during their stay there.
During the procession on Good Friday, all eyes are directed towards the Mater Dolorosa, aside of course from the resting representation of body of “God.” The Mater Dolorosa is the exact replica of the image made by Mariano Madriñan, considered to be the town’s hero, which earned him a plaque of recognition from King Alfonso of Spain and a gold medal award at the Amsterdam Exposition in 1883.
On the night of Black Saturday, the town celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ through the Easter Eve Ball, which lasts until the salubong of the following day (Easter Sunday).
Another festivity that Paete is known for is the Salibanda Sto. Niño Festival in January. The gaiety, which ends the long Christmas season, is characterized by street dancing similar to the Mardi Gras, and pouring of water among the people in celebration of Christ’s baptism, infancy and entry into manhood. The Salibanda starts with a fluvial parade on Laguna Lake then a procession into the streets of the town. The same merry-making happens during the town’s fiesta, the feast of Saint James in July.
Paete has a unique version of trick-or-treat during the Halloween. The children wander around the town as kaluluwa or souls of the dead. It is believed that these souls were given an off for a night to beg for alms. Thus, children, although costume-less, make some noise and ask for candies, cookies or even coins from the people.
Although Paete is famous for wood carving, this town is also known for the incomparable sweetness of its golden lanzones. Although lanzones are only available during the latter days of September until November, the different sweetness that this small, round, yellow fruit with leathery skin offers is worth waiting for.
Posts
