Article Contributor: Jen Magtibay
Chop, scratch, carve and polish—these are the common day of Paetenians or the wood carvers of the Philippines. A blood originated from the land of wood carving: Paete, Laguna.
If we were able to visit Paete, we will see how a piece of plank becomes a display in our homes in just a matter of hour. For them, it is not an ordinary task. Back then, when Spaniards dawn into this land, a lot of religious idols and some wood appliances were made by some ancestors of Paete.
The talent Paetenians show how we Filipinos are: world class. Traces shoe that some Filipino ice carvers and some international ice carvers that serve and work for international luxurious hotels and cruises have been influenced by wood carving of Paete or trained in the town. No wonder that more and more tourists give a loud applause for their one of a kind carving.
Most of what they carve are for religious places like retreat houses or even churches. Statues of Jesus, the last supper and the Stations of the Cross are some of the popular wood carvings Paetenians always offer to their customers.
Paete deserves the title of being the Wood Carving of the Philippines with their wide range of imagination, creativity and delicate hands that alter wood. These characteristics lead them to create world class statues, monuments and pieces of art.
I am looking forward for more artists to be inspired by this municipality where woods turn into a great piece of Obra Maestra: Paete Laguna, the land of wood carvers.
Web Sources:
tourism-philippines.com
sining.paete.org
youtube.com/w3bcarv3r
Photo credits:
flickr.com/bigberto
casaveneracion.com
cmaynardcloapo2.multiply.com
