A Burdang Lumban Festival – Lumban celebrates ancient craft of embroidery

Lumban, Laguna – Known as the “Embroidery Capital of the Philippines,” the municipality of Lumban in Laguna held recently its “3rd Burdang Lumban Festival,” showcasing once again this renowned ancient craft of embroidery and the Filipino talent and artistry.

“We should take pride of the craft that has been handed down to us from the past generations. For it carries not only the heart and culture of our people but also the artistry that we can all be proud of,” said Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durango.

Almost all of the local producers participated in the event that featured an array of different hand-made embroidery products including its famed “Barong Tagalog” made from piña cloth which were sold for as low Php2,000, terno, shoulder and hand bags, veil, scarf, wedding gowns and other ladies’ wear.

Home accessories and decors made from jusi, piña cloth and chiffonille thread were also on sale like curtains, table cloths, napkins, handkerchiefs and bedsheets.

The intricate art of barong embroidery has, indeed, made a name for the skillful and artistic women of Lumban. In this rustic town, hand-embroidering barong is an art passed on from generation to generation.

Lolita Aquino, who is quite popular for her piña Barong Tagalogs worn by Philippine political luminaries including the late Presiña Barong Tagalogs worn by Philippine political luminaries including the late President Diosdado Macapagal, has been into hand-made embroidery for more than 30 years.

Her business, Loly’s Lumban Embroideries, is the product of her many years of hard work.

She revealed that it takes a few months to finish an embroidery for something elaborate like a wedding gown. And although there are machine-made products, hand-made are always regarded as special because a lot of work is put into it, thus, they are a bit more expensive.
The barongs from Lumban are the ones considered as authentic and original, and has already been a part of history, she said.
Durano added that the hand-made embroidery of Lumban has brought prestige to the province and the country as well “as it has find its way in the best stores in many parts of the world, eventually reaching the homes of highly appreciate owners and collectors.”
A few products from small cottage industries like “walis,” “bolos,” “yunot” and native bags were also displayed for sale at the town plaza. While local delicacies such as “kesong puti,” “ginataang hipon,” and “espasol” were a hit among tourists especially those made by Opring de Luna, who produces at least 450 pieces a day. Her “espasol” are considered to be the best-tasting here.

Adding spice and color to the event are the street dancing competition, beauty pageant and a fashion show.
With its proximity to Manila, Laguna easily lures the city dwellers who wish to escape from the urban jungle. It offers a convenient alternative for those who want to relax without going too far, just a mere two-hour drive from Manila.

Laguna might just as well be dubbed as the ‘Resort Province of the Philippines’ because of the abundance of hot springs, lakes and waterfalls. This is attributed to the fact that Laguna is the only province with ground water that flows at 300 million gallons a day.
With Southeast Asia’s largest fresh water lake, the Laguna de Bay, plus innumerable springs, the seven lakes of San Pablo, the famous Pagsanjan Falls and the regular blessings of rain showers, Laguna stays lush throughout the year.

Laguna has much to offer, having been successfully able to preserve most of its rustic beauty and appeal despite the level of industrialization that it has achieved. It manage to blend the best of boththe agricultural and industrial worlds.

Its economy is still based on agriculture. However, in the recent years, agricultural development has been complemented by the proliferation of light to medium scale industries. Before, the processing of agricultural products and making light handicrafts were the major manufacturing activities here. Today, textile spinning, weaving and finishing, chemical, automotive parts, ceramics, wood and paper products industries have been established.

Jaser A.Marasigan,October 3,2004,Manila Bulletin

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Gensan’s 6th Tuna Festival

A City Honors Its Most Precious Marine Resource
Situated on the northern fringes of the picturesque, ring-shaped Sarangani bay in South Cotabato, the boom city of General Santos looks like a diamond sparkling in Southern Mindanao.

Unlike most cities in the country, General Santos was well planned. They say the city was patterned after Washington D.C; that’s why it has wide streets radiating towards the scenic bay, giving its almost 350,000 residents a lot of breathing space and almost traffic-free environment. Called Dadiangas in the olden days, the city has world-class infrastructures and facilities that support its robust economy.

Located in what is popularly called SOCSKSSARGEN (South Cotabato/Sultan Kudarat / Sarangani/General Santos), GenSan (as General Santos is popularly called in Mindanao) is the center of a bustling economic growth area in Southern Mindanao that are interconnected by well-paved highways. Complementing its good roads is its brand-new international airport overlooking the picturesque bay whose runway could accommodate even the big, double-decker passenger jets of the future. But its most vital facility is its ultra-modern fish port.

With more than 1,000 tons of fish offloaded daily, GenSan ranks second after Manila for fish production, the prize catch being the giant yellow-fin tuna caught by its fishermen from as far as the Celebes Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Because of this huge volume of tuna catch, the city has seven major tuna canneries that produce 27 million cases – that’s 238,443 metric tons of canned tuna in 2002!

Because of this marine bounty whose gross exports reach more than US$150 million annually, a foundation aptly called Tuna Festival Foundation, Inc. was formed and, in cooperation with the city government, organized, the first tuna festival during its week-long city charter day celebration on September 1 to 5, 1999. Now in its sixth year, its bigger and grander than ever.

So, if you are a tuna lover, you should go to GenSan’s fish port on September 4 for this year’s version of a pelagic fun Olympics. There will be a search for the biggest and heaviest tuna-which means more than 30 kilos in weight! Also included are the fastest tuna handling and preparation, and the karga tuna (carrying the heaviest fish) contests. Capping the tuna games are water sports like bilis langoy, karera ng Banka, balik bugsay, tuna relay, huli hito, and how to dress up a huge tuna!

Starting last Friday, August 27, up to September 5, there will be a “Tuna Fiesta” every night at the Oval Plaza where everyone’s invited to join in street parties with live bands playing onstage. For visitors who’d like to bring home tuna pasalubong they can buy a wide array of prime cuts – panga, belly, buntot and of course, the freshest sashimi in this part of the world at the “WOW (wealth of waters) Tuna Trade Fair” in the same venue.

Another culinary event that’s not to be missed is the “Lutuna Culinary Competition” on August 31, where GenSan’s noted chefs” TV show on how to prepare the most delectable tuna dishes. Spectators can pamper their palates even by just ogling (and smelling) at the mouthwatering tuna dishes.

The tummy- filling Tuna Festival will not be complete though, without experiencing the extraordinary “Sashimi Night” on September 4 at the city’s Anchor Driving Range. Its organizers promised the event to be a gastronomic evening for people who love this prime raw dish while popular bands play onstage.

Like all festivals, there will also be a lot of amazing events all week-long like the “Tuna Revolution Float Parade” competition, one of the 39 events lined-up, where folks from all barangays of the city, including people engaged in fish-related businesses, will join hands to come out with their respective giant floats. This will be a treat because big tuna canning companies will outdo each other in coming out with the biggest and the most outlandish tuna themed floats.

The highlight of the 10-day tuna festival is the annual Tuna Congress on September 2 at the Family Convention Center. There, major industry players will plan the sustainability of their prime marine resource. The business sector will also be updated on new policies affecting the tuna industry and its other opportunities here and abroad.

So, come to GenSan and discover its “wealth of wonders” – visually and gastronomically!

Randy V. Urlanda, August 29,2004,Philippine Panorama Manila Bulletin

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