Edgar Gata recalls waking up one day in 2002 with nothing much to do; he soon found himself hooked on a new hobby, something he never thought he’d be interested in: building replicas of famous buildings using the wooden sticks.
The next 493 days were full of hardships and sacrifices but Gata was determined to create his masterpiece — something that would be recognized globally and truly represent the epitome of Filipino ingenuity.
Entitled "A Hamlet in Barbecue Sticks," Gata has submitted his collection of replicas to both "Guinness World Records" in London and "Ripley’s Believe It or Not" in the US under the category of "art and sculpture."
Using a total of 30,254 barbecue sticks, gallons of glue, and an English dictionary as his primary resource, Gata created 126 replicas of different structures and creations from around the world.
He remembers purchasing eight bundles of barbecue sticks per week — at a cost of P6 for 30 sticks — for 16 months.
Gata, 63, admits he had no previous interest in architecture or engineering.
"I just started it because I really had nothing to do at that time," says the former Saudi Arabia worker. "I first constructed a small house model, but my wife destroyed it," he added, while showing The STAR his collection at his Las Piñas City home.
There were questions, objections, even some ribbing — but this did not deter Gata from pursuing his muse. "For some reason, I continued to produce more items and my work became a little specialized," he says.
Despite having poor eyesight — he has a cataract in his right eye — Gata pursued his craft with intricate attention to detail. "My right eye vision has been problematic since 1992 but the doctor said I have perfect vision in my left eye."
His collection covers diverse areas of design. Among his creations are a replica of the first biplane built by brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, a Chinese "junk" dragon ship, the Golden Gate Bridge spanning San Francisco Bay and an Eskimo kayak;
A model of a torii, the decorative doorway found in Japan; a Catholic church with belfry, a Swiss chalet mountain house, a Hopi
Indian pueblo, an American Indian hut called a wigwam, a mansard roof house, an igloo, a Conestoga wagon, the first mode of transportation in the US before the train; a stagecoach, a surrey, or horse-drawn vehicle named after the town in England, and our very own calesa and jeepney.
Gata said he completed his collection on March 29, 2004. Since then, he has kept the replicas inside his house and has not allowed the public to view his creation.
There are other entries for models and replicas in both Guinness and Ripley’s but Gata’s work is unique because of the homegrown material he used. It is also the lone Philippine entry in this category.
For now, Gata said he has no plans to display his creation in any public venue. "I don’t have that idea yet. Maybe soon, but it would take time and a lot of effort to do that," he says.
He also is enjoying the full support of his family and relatives, who admitted they now admire him for the patience, skill and perseverance he has shown.
"I don’t know if I could do the same given his situation. He has a cataract in the right eye and still he was able to do such a masterpiece. We are really behind him," said Macki Yatco, 24, Gata’s nephew.
Gata has also urged fellow Filipinos, especially the youth, to explore their natural gift of creativity so the country could produce more masterpieces that are truly worthy of international recognition.