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CHED-DHVSU as mallets nudging for Dúkit promotion

Dúkit is an art that is as old as the history of Bacolor and Guagua. For local woodcarvers, it is a skill that has been passed on from generation to generation which highlights creativity and the many facades of culture.

In fact, Betis in Guagua is known to be the furniture-making and woodcarving center, not only of the province but of the entire Luzon. It has grown to be recognized to produce export quality and world class sculptures.

𝑃𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑙-𝑘𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑝𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑜 𝐿𝑎𝑦𝑢𝑔 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑢́𝑘𝑖𝑡 -𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔-𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑝. 𝐻𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 10-𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐽𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦 4-15, 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐸𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (𝐶𝐻𝐸𝐷) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑜𝑛 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑜 𝑉𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 (𝐷𝐻𝑉𝑆𝑈) 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑟. (The Industrialist, DHVSU)

To push forward the promotion and preservation of the dúkit tradition, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) main campus in Bacolor partnered to conduct a dúkit -making training-workshop.

With a theme “Bringing Arts and Culture to Local Repository,” the event is part of the EduTourism Project of both institutions.

It is being held at DHVSU’s covered court from January 4 to 15.

Dúkit-making training workshop project lead Mildred Crisostomo underscored that the training-workshop also aims to bring back the glory of Bacolor to be the Athens of Pampanga by promoting its strength in pamandúkit.

“It’s time that we focus on what we really have and then we make the country, and probably the whole world know that this is what we have. We must be proud of what we have,” she said.

In addition, Dúkit-making cluster head Rogelio Pacatcatin Jr. shared that the training-workshop is presently participated by Bacoloreños who want to learn the art.

“We have students studying Industrial Arts who help us in reviving the wood making technology here in DHVSU. We have professionals including teachers, lawyers, visual artists, and we have employees from DepEd [Department of Education] who are teaching furniture and cabinet making. So, all of them want to learn,” he detailed.

Topics in the training include wood identification and preservation, wood carving techniques, basic sketching, and step-by-step procedure on simple wood designs.

𝑨 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓-𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒍 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑫𝒖́𝒌𝒊𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏
The history of dúkit in Pampanga dates to the early 20th century when Juan Culala Flores went to Manila to escape fishing and worked for master sculptors at the age of 16. He was said to have returned to his hometown at 19, sharing to his townsfolks what he learned in woodworking, providing jobs to younger boys.

According to accounts, Flores made the interior pieces in Malacañang from former President Manuel L. Quezon and up to the time of former first lady Imelda Marcos until he suffered a stroke in 1979.

Through his journey, Flores trained many young boys who in turn passed the skill to their families, producing generations of artists. Among them is the famous Kapampangan master-carver Wilfredo Layug.

Since the 1980s, he has created retables and sacred images for churches nationwide, including in Tuguegarao, La Union, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Metro Manila, Laguna, Catanduanes, Leyte, Butuan, and Pampanga. He is also the creator of the retable of Pedro Calungsod and San Lorenzo Ruiz at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome.

𝐾𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟-𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑜 𝐿𝑎𝑦𝑢𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑝𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠. 𝐿𝑎𝑦𝑢𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑢́𝑘𝑖𝑡 -𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔-𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑝 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐸𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (𝐶𝐻𝐸𝐷) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑜𝑛 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑜 𝑉𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦𝐾𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟-𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑜 𝐿𝑎𝑦𝑢𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑝𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠. 𝐿𝑎𝑦𝑢𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑢́𝑘𝑖𝑡 -𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔-𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑝 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐸𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (𝐶𝐻𝐸𝐷) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑜𝑛 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑜 𝑉𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 (DHVSU). (Pampanga PIO)

In 2015, he was tasked to create the image of the Lady of Hope of Palo and the Crucifixion seen in the Papal Masses. He has also created artworks in important sites in the heritage district of Vigan, the Monastery of Transfiguration Museum, the Marcelo H. Del Pilar National Shrine in Bulacan, and the portal of the Fort Santiago complex in Intramuros.

On top of all these, Layug is a recipient of the highest merit of the Catholic Church, the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and the Pope) medal and certificate, which the Pope gives to lay persons for their exemplary service to the church.

Luckily, the papal-knighted sculptor serves as the mentor for the participants of the dúkit -making training-workshop of CHED and DHVSU.

Layug likened the dúkit -making tradition with the Kapampangan song Atin Cu Pung Singsing, a traditional folk song about a woman who is looking for a missing ring given by her mother.

“In the song, the ring was lost. Now, for all of us here, we should not wait for our own ring [referring to dúkit], to vanish. If possible, we have to polish it and put a gem on it,” he said during the opening ceremony of the training-workshop.

The master-carver also debunked the claims that the dukit-making tradition is dying.

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑝 𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑘𝑏𝑎𝑦 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑃𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑎 𝑜𝑛 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑦 30, 2023, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑜 𝐿𝑎𝑦𝑢𝑔, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑔𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒. (Pampanga PIO)

𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒖́𝒌𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏
For institutions like CHED and DHVSU, much as for a master-carver like Layug, it is vital to promote and preserve the pamandúkit tradition so that it will live on.

Nineteen-year-old participant Lloyd Russel Franche emphasized that he joined the training-workshop to help in the preservation of the culture of woodcarving.

“We, the youth, know that we have the talent to do wood carving… we can draw, and carve that drawing into wood. So we will carry this until we become old,” he stated.

Surely, for the locals, woodcarving will live on as it serves not only an expression of culture and art but also a source of livelihood.

In fact, the town of Guagua celebrates the Dúkit Festival annually every December to preserve the woodcarving culture.

It showcases wood carving products which are mostly religious statues and furniture, and stages a street dancing competition, and on-the-spot woodcarving competition participated by sculptors from various regions.

Also, the provincial government of Pampanga organized the first-ever Ligligang Pamandúkit as part of the 451st celebration of the Aldo ning Kapampangan last December 8, 2022.

These are testaments that indeed, pamandúkit is part of the lives not only of the locals of Bacolor and Guagua, but also of all Kapampangan folks, as well. (JLDC-PIA 3)

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