SENIOR BYAHERO
I have been to Lumban, Laguna several times in the past to have a Barong Tagalog made. Social events like weddings, product launchings, and even Filipiniana-themed parties require that I have a Barong Tagalog made for the occasion, and driving 105 kilometers south is worth all the efforts because I get an intricately-embroidered attire at less than the price of buying those generically-made one from the department stores. Of course, as a traveler, I also get to see the heritage attractions of Laguna and to try some of the province’s famous delicacies along the way.
I recently returned to Lumban not to have another Barong Tagalog made but to judge an embroidery competition. I received a call from a friend who was judging the embroidery competition and he told me that his colleague who was judging as well had a last-minute assignment and could not make it to Lumban. He convinced me that my background as a travel writer and vlogger who enjoys going to local festivals is enough to qualify me as a judge in an embroidery competition. The opportunity to see how the Barong Tagalog I wore before are embroidered and to travel to Lumban during a festival got me saying yes immediately.
On the day of the competition, we saw that there were about 30 participants, all of them considered as the expert burdaderas of Lumban. The embroidery competition called “Timpalak Galing sa Pagbuburda” was part of the weeklong Burdang Lumban Festival.
The annual Burdang Lumban Festival provides for the municipality an avenue to boast its prospering tourism industry, underscoring the significant contribution of the burdaderas whose skills and artistry are the vital elements in the thrust of ensuring the sustainability of the tourism enterprise. The festival also aims to motivate awareness and appreciation of the locals on the importance of embroidery which gives Lumbeños an identity as a people.
According to Jayson M. Lagrada, head of Lumban history, arts, culture and tourism office, the skills in hand embroidery were taught by the Franciscan missionary nuns among the Lumbeno womenfolk back in 1606 upon the establishment of a regional school in the convent of the Lumban church. The flair in the needlework was preserved and transferred through generations and became the main industry that it is today.
When asked what makes Lumban’s embroidery exceptional, Lagrada replied “the fine and intricate embroidery and the distinct calado works are the qualities that makes Lumban’s hand embroidery exceptional.” Today, Lumban is known as the Embroidery Capital of the Philippines and its established embroidery industry continues to flourish and make waves in the national and international markets.
“The present-day burdaderas actually learned the skills of hand embroidery from members of the families who are part of the embroidery enterprise” Lagrada added. It was quite intimidating that we were tasked to judge the works of the hands whose skills were developed for over four centuries.
The participants were given the same design pattern to work on four days before the actual competition. They were tasked to give their own version of the design pattern using their own colors, needlework and calado styles. When we arrived at the judging area, the participants were already doing finishing touches on their works. As we inspect each entry one by one, it became evident that we were judging the works of embroidery masters.
I have judged design competitions before but mostly on car design where we evaluated the works of students and amateurs. This time it was the other way around: We were the amateurs who simply love nicely embroidered Barong Tagalog deliberating on the works of experts. Fortunately, we were given criteria to evaluate: Originality, design, patterns, execution, use of colors, etc. We were also told to also check the back of the embroidery, to make sure that there are no wrinkles. An expert hand can control each pull of the thread with patience and precision, and we had to make sure that we see that in the final output.
Finally, we awarded the top prize to the old lady who did beautiful color combination and used several calado patterns on her work. She also had the most “pulido” (polished) work with no wrinkles even at the back.
I asked Lagrada how long it takes to embroider a Barong Tagalog. He replied: “One day or two for regular designs, sometimes three months for full calado. Each piece is a work of art. It cannot be rushed.” I went home after the competition beaming with pride that I have worn and will continue to wear the works made by hands of these master artists of Lumban.
(The author recently retired as an engineer in an auto manufacturing company. He was a regular contributor to MB's Cruising Magazine. His taste for adventure has not kept him from travelling, usually via not-so-usual routes.)