SM-DTI-CITEM and Philippine STAR Partnership: ‘My City, My SM, My Crafts’ goes to Laguna

MANILA, Philippines - My City, My SM, My Crafts” showcases Laguna craftsmanship as it makes its first stop at SM City Santa Rosa to celebrate traditional arts and modern Philippine design.

In partnership with the Bureau of Domestic Trade of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Philippine STAR with support from CITEM, the project brings together the best of the best of Philippine craftsmanship — from the Cordillera highlands to tribal villages of Mindanao, from the workshops of artisans to studios of contemporary world-class designers.

The crafts of Laguna, as showcased in SM City Santa Rosa’s Craft Market, celebrate the creativity and innovative spirit of Filipino artisans who fashion exquisite items from indigenous materials.  It also highlights the many livelihood programs that make it possible to promote these crafts in the national and international markets.

Wood carving in Paete

In Paete, the skill of carving artworks out of wood is passed on from generation to generation.  The artistic ingenuity of the lakeshore town can be traced back to the pre-Spanish period.  However, it was during Spanish colonial times that Paete created many religious articles and the art flourished.
Today, Paete’s artists carve not only religious figures, but also genre masterpieces, furniture, and just about anything possible. These include handcrafted wooden bags that can be compared to sculptured pieces of art.

Embroidery in Lumban

In the rustic town of Lumban in Laguna, embroidery has flourished as a major industry for many centuries. Street after street in the town is lined with bamboo frames called bastidor, upon which transparent cloth is stretched to dry after being washed with water and soap.

The women of Lumban skillfully embroider fabrics ranging from jusi and piña made from banana and pineapple fibers to modern linen and silk blends.

In modern times, Lumban’s exquisitely hand-embroidered products have found their way into the best stores in the country, as well as into the collections of famous internationally renowned designers.

Shoemaking in Liliw

It is said that in 1931, a farmer named Cassiano Pisuena thought of how tistis, an excess material from the coconut tree, also known as the “tree of life,” was going to waste.  It was then that he fashioned the first pair of tsinelas (slippers) from coconut fiber and rubber as an alternative to the heavy wooden clogs and closed shoes. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, Liliw is not only known for its slippers, but its thriving footwear industry.  Known as the Shoe Capital of the Southern Philippines, Liliw has about 70 to 80 stores selling shoes and slippers along Gat Tayaw Avenue.

Water hyacinth products from Los Banos

When Typhoon Ondoy struck two years ago, Laguna residents encountered flooding problems due to the huge number of water hyacinths clogging  nearby Laguna de Bay.

With training and support from the Department of Trade and Industry, they have since transformed this problem into a thriving industry. The stalks of the water hyacinth are woven and fashioned into products like shoes, bags, clogs, baskets, and furniture. Water hyacinth stalks can also be transformed into functional products like rope, paper, and poultry feeds.

Bone China from Biñan

Considered by most to be the finest of porcelain products, bone china is stronger and more translucent than basic porcelain. Thomas Frye first developed what is now known as bone china at his Bow porcelain factory in East London in 1748. Later, Joseph Spode in Stoke further developed the concept and finalized its formulation sometime between 1789 and 1793.

Today, exquisite bone china pieces comparable to those in Europe and the United States can be found in Binan, Laguna.

“My City, My SM, My Crafts” is a take-off from the “My City, My SM” campaign, which promoted tourism, and “My City, My SM, My Cuisine,” which highlights the culinary specialties of its host cities.

After the Santa Rosa stop, the roadshow will proceed to SM City Lucena, then SM City Batangas in July; SM City Cagayan de Oro and SM City Davao in August; SM City Marilao, SM City Naga, and SM City Dasmarinas in September; SM City Bacolod in October; SM City Taytay in November; and SM City Pampanga in December.

It will begin its 2014 run at SM City Cebu and SM City Iloilo in January and SM City Baguio and SM City Clark in February. Each stop will highlight a Craft Market, workshops and demonstrations. Each city will have a contest wherein members of the community showcase their skill in producing its signature craft.

“My City, My SM, My Crafts” is a joint project of SM, the Bureau of Domestic Trade, and the Philippine STAR with support from CITEM.