The Knowledge of artistry is the property, said by Dr.

Larz Ubaldo during our

educational tour in Paete, Laguna.

The Balaw- Balaw is not just a mere simple Restaurant itself but what gives the pride

and beauty is the art gallery inside the nature environmental house. The owner of the

restaurant is the Late Mr. Perdegon Vocalan and now at present it was managed by his

son. Balaw- Balaw is one of the unexceptional places in Angono, Rizal for an

extraordinary piece of an artwork. Most of the themes of the artist presented the theme

of fantasy and as what Dr . Larz Ubaldo said, that most of the paintings of the artists

in the Angono were themed with underwater, fairies, mermaids. The place was served

as the inspiration artists to drive their artwork into somewhat like fantasy is because of

the huge water allocation in Angono, Rizal. The artists were inspired because of the

very important view of nature and taken the place as an inspiration The Sierra Madre

and the huge water of body surrounding there locality.

In Balaw- Balaw we also witnessed the different paper machete masks hanged in

the wall of the restaurant which expresses the different features of smiles.

I myself saw through the art works of Mr. Vocalan the 3 quqlities of an artist and

even though his dead already but the legacy still remain through his works.

Balaw-Balaw for me is really an extraordinary place because it seems that the

place particularly the house is filled with religiosity and myth.

I also noticed the heads of the Higantes which is during their festival they

include the heads of the giants during parade.

 From the name itself Balaw-Balaw for me is very artistic that something that a

tourist gets curios and even in the main entrance of the door is very unique.

in his artworks I saw several icons and images, the Sto. Nio and Amazona.

On our way going to Laguna particularly in Paete we went along the city of Rizal

where we passed many villages. At exactly 9:18 am we enter to the Municipality

Angono, Rizal and take our snacks in Balaw-Balaw. It was a very adventurous trip for

me because it was my first time to travel going to the other places in Luzon. Along the

wafy I also saw the largest Bay I the Philippines the Laguna de Bae. I sat at the back

of the bus near the window and I was very glad to see the different beautiful views

along the way.

The road going to Paete is somewhat like zigzag related to our province in

Bukidnon.

Balaw-Balaw is the restaurant owned by the famous artist in Angono, the late Mr.

Perdegon Vocalan. the restaurant served an unusual food. They served us during our

stay with their famous exotic delicacy the fried wood worm and fried ants. I was

amazed when the son of the owner who is now presently running the business offered

us to eat there alive wood worm fresh from the tree.

The Municipality of Angono, Rizal is very proud and at the same time with pride

because two of the famous Filipino artist came from there municipality who were Lucio

San Pedro, the composer of Ugoy ng Duyan and Carlos Botong San Pedro.
 The patron Saint of Angono is Saint Clement and during the festival they have

the flubial parade seen in the huge water body in Angono. Also Angono, Rizal is very

famous of their Easter Sunday tradition the Salubong particularly in the momentum

part wherein the removal of the black veil of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

After having our snacks and visit in Balaw-Balaw we proceed our way going to

Paete, Laguna and we also crossed along the way of Binangonan.

After the three hours riding the bus from Angono we reached the town of Paete,

Laguna but before reaching Paete theres a town called Pakil that has a pilgrimage

named The Miraculous Our Lady of Sorrows. Also the town was honored because during

the 19th century Marcelo Adunay a citizen in Pakil was hired in Intramuros, Manila and

composed several number of church songs.

Paete is the fourth class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. The

town, pronounced P-t, long I,short guttural . Paete derived its name from Paet

tagalong word for chisel. The principal tool used of tool carving. The proper

pronunciation of the towns name is is probably Pa-ete but the natives called it Pay-

ti. The town is located at the north eastern part of Laguna de Bay. The city of

Paetewas founded in the year round 1580by Spanish friars Juans de Plasencia and

Diego de Oropesa of the Franciscan order.

The town has had a long reputation for its craftsmen highly skilled in wood

carving and its embellishments. It is really true that the citizens in Paete were born very

critical thinkers and naturally creative because like this time the trees were fluctuating
in number and in the state of peak season and Ive tried to think of it that they really

deserve the credit because even though they cant produce a lot of number of wood

carved but they look on the other alternative way to help improve their livelihood

program and especially the tourism aspect they have artistic Ice carving and fruit

carving presentation. Paete, Laguna is recognized as the carving capital of the

Philippines obviously because of their passion to art and carving.

One of the famous historical churches in Paete, Laguna is the church named

after the apostle James popularly known in the province San Santiago. During the

tenure of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo she proclaimed the church as one

of the heritage site through the Presidential Decree no. 809. In the year 1646 Rev. Juan

de Plasencia built the said church and in 1717 it was ruin by an earthquake and in 1884

Pedro Galiano rebuilt the church. Through the presidential decree no. 274 the church

was considered as the national treasure and as the precious ancestral domain of the

Philippines. In the year 1850 a painter Jose Liciano Dans painted an image of Saint

Christopher and in 1720 an unknown artist painted the Final Judgment. Also inside the

church one of the important images considered and also believed as miraculous was the

dead body of Jesus which was brought to the church in the year 1516.

At the time we arrive in the town of Paete we were accommodated by the

tourism representative of Paete, Ms. Ana and I am very glad because they prepared the

place very well and I was astonished because I saw how they really are artistic because

they performed the ice carving and right 15 minute the two sculptors Kuya Allan and
Fabrig they finished carving the angel fish and the Bahay Kubo. In making the ice

carving they used a special chisel tool exclusively only for ice.