Photos courtesy of AHP
In buffets and special occasions, oysters are crowd pleasers. Their succulent meats make for perfect appetizers, leaving the palate wanting for more. These could fetch a prize in the market, but for 31-year-old Carlo B. Virano, these oysters are a lifeline in these trying times.
Virano is one proud oyster farmer from Malolos, Bulacan. His family has been counting on the sale of oysters or talaba for their daily sustenance. He knows how important it is to earn as much as possible, especially with a pandemic affecting many livelihoods including his community in Malolos.
The talaba farmer, fortunately, has found a way to earn more from the bounty of the ocean through upcycling.
Upcycling for a better Christmas
Apt for the Yuletide season, the hard shells of the oysters are used as a decorative feature of his own interpretation of a parol (lantern). In one of his creations, cleaned talaba shells are glued together to create a shape of a star that outlines his parol.
Virano is not the only one from his community that has decided to turn to upcycling or recycling readily available resources, or by-products of his trade.
For the family of Emiliano Eligio, his wife Susan and son Jessie, bamboo is the main material of his parol.
Their Singkaban Parol is reminiscent of festive bamboo arches that serve as welcome signages in many towns and municipalities in the country. His hometown, Malolos, is famed for its Singkaban Festival held every September.
Like his kababayan, the Bulakenyo turns to resourcefulness to augment his family’s daily needs. Like the sturdy bamboo, the Eligio family believes in standing strong and being adaptive to the hard times by making do with any available means of livelihood.
“I will save the money to buy materials for Christmas decorations that I can later on sell, use it to buy our needs, and spend for some medicines we need for maintenance,” Eligio said.
Apart from the Singkaban Festival, Bulacan is also known for another product that might leave a sour taste in the mouth, but is definitely a palate pleaser for Edmar Marcelino.
The young Bulakenyo pieced together napa fruits (locally known as sasa) to make his parol. The fruit is usually covered in a hard shell that encases a white meat, like how an aged coconut looks like when its husks are peeled and its shell is cracked.
Marcelino learned the trade from his late father as well as continues a tradition that could distinctly be called Bulacan’s own niche vinegar industry.
The towns of Paombong and Malolos in Bulacan are abundant with sasa, which has many uses, including the production of the popular sukang sasa, a local variety of vinegar.
These Bulakenyos are part of an ongoing Parol Project initiative by the Advocates for Heritage Preservation (AHP).
Farmers and fishermen from the historic town of Malolos are this year’s beneficiaries of the project.
“Malolos, Bulacan has exhibited a lot of their cultural talents when it comes to weaving and designing using organic materials. With the help of AHP Malolos Chapter and AHP Bulacan administration, we found special, talented Bulakenyos who also were hit by this pandemic. This is our way of showing the people their skill and creating a livelihood program to enjoy this Yuletide season,” said Johnson Bernardo, a member of AHP.
Hope keeps homes shining
Bernardo said that the Parol Project auction benefits not only the farmers and fishermen who get to sell their parols for P800 and above, but also the art and legacy of parol-making.
He said that it is AHP’s vision to “continue this diminishing culture.” AHP was founded five years ago as an online group that aims to protect, preserve and promote tangible and intangible heritage treasures of the Philippines.
AHP does heritage tours and volunteers repainting of historical markers. It also has a program called Sako Saklolo where it accepts donated sacks for garbage collection along Manila Bay. It also holds the Yearly Awardee for AHP Gawad Bantay Pamana for Unsung Heroes where it recognizes ordinary individuals who contributed to the preservation of heritage culture. Among its notable accomplishments is the silent rally held to save the commercialization of the Rizal Memorial Sports Stadium in Manila.
Parols are favored Christmas decors in many Filipino households along with scenes of the Nativity. It is rooted in the Christian value of hope, often emphasized in the story of Jesus’ birth where three Magi were guided by a shining star on their way to greet the newly born holy infant.
“The parol is a sign of hope for every house. Once it is hung inside one’s home, with or without light, it gives a natural shine of hope and happiness in one’s heart,” Bernardo said.
All proceeds from each parol sold, measuring at the standard size of 24 by 24 with no lights, will go directly to the families who created it. Buyers who wish to give more than the set price are appreciated. Interested buyers may join the AHP group online, through referral or by getting in touch with Johnson Bernardo (09491927862).