Paete, Laguna: Wood Carvings at its finest

Paete, Laguna has been widely known for its wood carvings. Recently, the famous moving statues of saints were featured in television. In my recently concluded visit at the Paete Church, it was unfortunate that I did not get the chance to see those that were shown on television. However, I was still privileged in getting to see the townsfolk preparing the carts where the icons will be put.

Aside from these old icons that can be seen during the procession held during Holy Week, there are other events that you would not want to miss.

Salibada is a religious festival honoring Sto. Niño and is held during the month of January. This is something like a mardi gras but the participants pour water among each other.

Paete Town Fiesta. The town fiesta of Paete is celebrated in the honor of the town’s patron, Saint James. It is celebrated every 25th of July.

Aside from the festivities held in Paete and the famous artworks displaying the excellent craftsmanship of the Paete townsfolk, you should not dare miss the lanzones fruits there. If you are wondering where the heck those sweet lanzones fruits come from, they actually come from Paete and they are also known for that.

Woodcarving Action in Paete Laguna

Paete is a 4th-class urban municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines.The 2000 census registers the town with a population of 23,011 in 5,101 households.

Paete (pronounced Pī-té, long i, short guttural ê) is a lakeside town located at the northeastern part of Laguna, along the shores of picturesque Laguna de Bay. It was founded in 1580 by Spanish friars Juan de Placencia and Diego de Oropesa of the Franciscan Order. It is believed that the earliest inhabitants were of Malay lineage, coming all the way from Borneo in their swift and sturdy boats called "Balangay". The town is made famous by craftsmen highly skilled in woodcarving and its embellishment.

Paete has come a long way from what Jose Rizal describes as that town from whose "carpenter shops" were issued images "even those more rudely carved" (chapter VI, Noli me Tangere ). Even now, its inhabitants (called Paeteňos or Paetenians) continue with their centuries-old tradition in carving and painting. Rizal would feel proud of the town's masterpieces, evident in statues, pulpits, murals and bas relief found in churches, palaces and museums all over the world--among them the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, the Mission Dolorosa in San Francisco, the San Cayetano Church in Mexico, the St. Joseph's shrine in Sta. Cruz, California, various churches in the Philippines and the Ayala Museum in Makati, Philippines. The official town hero is not a statesman nor a soldier but a woodcarver, the master artisan Mariano Madriñan, whose obra maestra, the life-like Mater Dolorosa, was honored by the King of Spain with a prestigious award in Amsterdam in 1882. The town was proclaimed "the Carving Capital of the Philippines" in March 15, 2005 by Philippine President Arroyo. It is also believed that the modern yo-yo, which originated in the Philippines, was invented in Paete.

Today many descendants of these skillful artisans have found a niche in the culinary world--ice sculpture, fruit and vegetable carvings done by dexterous hands of Paeteños abound on buffet tables of cruise ships and world-class hotels and restaurants.