Paete, Laguna

Paete is a 4th-class urban municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines.The 2000 census registers the town with a population of 23,011 in 5,101 households.

Paete (pronounced "Pī-té", long "i", short guttural "ê") is a lakeside town located at the northeastern part of Laguna, along the shores of picturesque Laguna de Bay. It was founded in 1580 by Spanish friars Juan de Placencia and Diego de Oropesa of the Franciscan Order. It is believed that the earliest inhabitants were of Malay lineage, coming all the way from Borneo in their swift and sturdy boats called "Balangay". The town is made famous by craftsmen highly skilled in woodcarving and its embellishment.

Paete has come a long way from what Jose Rizal describes as that town from whose "carpenter shops" were issued images "even those more rudely carved" (chapter VI, Noli me Tangere ). Even now, its inhabitants (called Paeteňos or Paetenians) continue with their centuries-old tradition in carving and painting. Rizal would feel proud of the town's masterpieces, evident in statues, pulpits, murals and bas relief found in churches, palaces and museums all over the world--among them the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, the Mission Dolorosa in San Francisco, the San Cayetano Church in Mexico, the St. Joseph's shrine in Sta. Cruz, California, various churches in the Philippines and the Ayala Museum in Makati, Philippines. The official town hero is not a statesman nor a soldier but a woodcarver, the master artisan Mariano Madriñan, whose "obra maestra", the life-like Mater Dolorosa, was honored by the King of Spain with a prestigious award in Amsterdam in 1882. The town was proclaimed "the Carving Capital of the Philippines" in March 15, 2005 by Philippine President Arroyo. It is also believed that the modern yo-yo, which originated in the Philippines, was invented in Paete.

Today many descendants of these skillful artisans have found a niche in the culinary world--ice sculpture, fruit and vegetable carvings done by dexterous hands of Paeteños abound on buffet tables of cruise ships and world-class hotels and restaurants.

Barangays

Paete is politically subdivided into 9 barangays.
*Bagumbayan
*Bangkusay
*Ermita
*Ibaba del Norte
*Ibaba del Sur
*Ilaya del Norte
*Ilaya del Sur
*Maytoong
*Quinale

Today the town thrives mainly on the sale and export of woodcarvings and "taka" (papier maché), tourism, poultry industry, farming and fishing.

How Paete got its name

Before the Spaniards came, Paete was said to be a peaceful barangay under Gat Lacampauid. The Spanish friars had a tradition of naming towns they built in honor of saints. Paete was an exception. Legend has it that there was once a young Franciscan priest who was tasked by his superior to visit their newly-founded settlements alongside Laguna de Bay. The priest knew little about the terrain so he asked a native the name of the place. The latter misinterpreted the young friar, thinking that the former wanted to know the name of the tool he was using. He answered," Paét" (chisel) --thus, the name Paete.

panish period

Juan de Salcedo was the first Spaniard to set foot in Paete. He was on his way to explore the gold-rich region of Paracale in Bicol. His men first encountered some resistance from the settlers of what is now Cainta in Rizal Province, but as expected, easily defeated the lightly-armed natives. Then he ventured to the lakeside barangays of Laguna de Bay on his way to Bicol.

In 1580 a pueblo was established in Paete by Frs. Placencia and Oropesa. Due to a dearth of priests at that time, Paete was first annexed to Lumban. Then in 1600, Paete became a barrio of Pangil. In 1602, Paete became independent and was christened Pueblo de San Lorenzo in honor of the town's first patron saint. The pueblo consisted not only of Paete, but also included the neighboring towns of Pakil, San Antonio, Longos and Kalayaan. In 1671, Fr. Francisco Soller reenacted the Via Crucis to resuscitate the people's waning faith. He carried a cross from the town proper up to Mt. Ping-as in Pakil. In 1676, Pakil became a separate pueblo, therefore the townspeople of Paete deemed it necessary to build their own crosses, located them in sitio Santa Ana, and named the site "Tatlong" "Krus" (Three Crosses). Paete achieved full township status in 1850.

Church history

The first church was built in the year 1646 by Paete natives under the supervision of Fr. Andres de Puertellano. In 1717, a new church was erected. It was made of adobe bricks and a mixture of egg white and other native materials to "cement" them. The building was constructed in elaborate baroque style with an infusion of oriental artistry. The intricate retablo pieces were made by Paetenian natives, among them were Bartolome Palatino and Francisco Macahumpan. The large paintings inside the church were executed by another notable son of Paete, Luciano Dans--these are the "Langit, Lupa", "Impiyerno" (Heaven, Earth, Hell), and the large murals of St. Christopher. The church with all its ornate designs and architecture was completed in 1840. It sustained major damages in the earthquakes of 1884 and 1937. The only recorded history during this time was written under the auspices of the Spanish Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, all the credits for the church construction and reconstruction are heaped on the "men of the cloth" and made no mention of names of native Paetenians.

War heroes

During the Japanese occupation, the church served as a dungeon and torture house to many of the town's inhabitants. The prisoners claimed to be subjected to unspeakable pain and atrocities. Dozens were killed, and hundreds sustained physical, emotional and mental wounds. The war has "produced countless unsung heroes and martyrs" [1] for Paete.

In 1899 American forces launched the Laguna campaign to subjugate the whole province and squelch insurrection. On the last leg of the campaign on April 12, an American battalion of 200 men invaded Paete but met strong resistance from a rookie force of less than 50 men. The natives demonstrated their valour and fierce independence by fighting against an enemy of superior weaponry and manpower. The town was subdued but it proved to be a most costly battle for the Americans. (see Battle of Paete)

In 2006, the mayor was killed.

Holy Week in Paete

Paete's most spectacular celebration takes place during Holy Week. It begins on Palm Sunday with the re-enactment of Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalam. The short procession starts at the Ermita Chapel where the priest blesses the "palaspas" (palm branch) of the faithful. The participants then slowly move to the church as " manangs" (religious women) put their "balabal" (shawl) on the street for the priest to walk through. This custom is called "payapak". A mass is held and afterwards the 16th-century statue of the Dead Body of Christ, or Señor Sepulkro to Paeteños, is brought home to its "recamadero" (owner and keeper of said image). The images are owned by individual families and are passed down to succeeding generations. For five days leading to Good Friday, the faithful kiss the exposed hands and feet of the Señor Sepulkro. On Holy Wednesday, a procession is held with Paete's 53 images of Christ's Passion and Ministry on display. The procession goes through the town's narrow streets en route to the church. It stops three times to give way to the "Salubong" (meeting) which depicts three scenes of Jesus' passion and in which Paete's "moving saints" take part. These are: the meeting of Christ and Mary, held at the church patio; the wiping of Jesus' face by Veronica, which takes place at Plaza Edesan; and finally, the encounter between Mary and Veronica where the latter shows the miraculous imprints of Christ's face on her cloth. This is held at the town plaza.

Maundy Thursday witnesses the dramatization of the Last Supper and Washing of the Disciples' feet and a night-long vigil is observed. The Aglipayan Church meanwhile conducts its own version of the "Salubong". On Good Friday the "Siete Palabras" (Seven Last Words of Christ) are recited until 3 pm, the time of Christ's death. A short procession then goes to the house of the Sto. Entierro (the Interred Christ) to bring the supine statue to the church in the act of burying the dead. The Sto. Entierro is borne on the shoulders of the town's male devotees. It is said that if the "carroza" (carriage) felt heavy you have gravely sinned, and if it felt light, the opposite was true. It is then paraded through town in a solemn manner. Afterwards, the flowers that adorned the "carroza" are handed down to the faithful along with a piece of thread from the pillow where the Señor laid his head. The faithful seize these in hopes of a miracle or cure. The townspeople burst out in celebration on Black Saturday and hold the "Sabado de Gloria" Ball. On Easter Sunday the church re-enacts another "Salubong"--this time the meeting of Mary and the Risen Christ.

This annual event is not only a medium for Paeteños to display their religiosity but also a means to showcase the superb craftsmanship of their art. The week-long tableau is repeated every year and attracts a handful of visitors from all over the world.

Educational institutions

Elementary
* Paete Elementary School (PES Central)
* Quinale Elementary School (QES)
* Ibaba Elementary School (IES)
* Mother of Eucharist and Grace Montessori School
* Nativity Montessori School
* San Antonio Abad School (SAAS)
* Liceo de Paete Elementary School

High school
* Eastern Laguna Colleges (ELC)
* Liceo de Paete (LDP)
* Mother of Eucharist and Grace Montessori School
* Poten and Eliseo Quesada Memorial National High School (PEQMNHS)

External links

* [http://www.paete.org The Home of Paetenians on the Net]
* [http://www.paete.gov.ph/ Pamahalaang Bayan ng Paete]
* [http://alaycomputer.paete.org Alay Computer Project]
* [http://memorabilia.paete.org/ Paete Memorabilia 2004]
* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
* [http://www.t-macs.com/kiso/local/ 2000 Philippine Census Information]
* [http://peqmnhs.tripod.com PEQMNHS Home on the Net]
* [http://peqmnhs-thecarver.blogspot.com the Carver Online (Online edition of PEQMNHS' official school newspaper, The Carver]

References

Further reading

Madridejos, Sancho. "Zonification of Paete". copyright@2003,paete.org

Madriñan, Virgil. "Lanzones". copyright@2003, paete.org.

Pruden, Marie Cagahastian. "Paete on My Mind". copyright@2003,paete.org

Quesada, Eugenio C. "Paete." 1956. Manila, Philippines

Quesada, Frank Col. "Freedom at Dawn": 7-part series. copyright@2003,paete.org

¹Quesada, Frank Col. "World War II in Paete". copyright@2003,paete.org

Quesada, Juan, Jr. "Paete:" "The Once And Future Village". copyright@2003,paete.org