Konted's Make My Day 2: Paete: At The Foot Of The Sierra Madre

Paete: At The Foot Of The Sierra Madre

Paet is a Tagalog word for chisel which is a carpentry tool. From this root word, the town of Paete's name was supposedly coined. For Paete boasts of highly skilled wood carvers and sculptors. Such has been the case for many generations. Wood carvers of Paete have consistently been tapped to do delicate wood works around the globe. Some of the religious statues at the St.Peter's Basilica in Rome were done by Paete's art specialists.

Paete is a quiet town in northeastern Laguna. It is situated at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountain range and its proximity to Laguna de Bay makes it also a lakeshore town of the province of Laguna. While the town is famous for its sweet lanzones, the residents too have a steady supply of Tilapia, Kanduli, Hito, Karpa, Bangus and Ayungin.

Paete is considered as one of the oldest political units in the entire country as it was established as a Christian community as early as 1580. At the town proper is an old stone church built by the Spanish missionaries. It has a baroque architectural design. All the wood works inside the church were done by Paete's selected craftsmen and skilled workers.

Though the log ban has affected the carving industry of Paete, there are still numerous woodcarving stores and carpentry shops along its narrow streets. Papier mache is becoming a popular product and some are exported to other countries. Home decors and other souvenir items are sold at cheaper prices.

Paete's neighboring towns are Pangil, Pakil, Kalayaan and Lumban. It is only a few kilometers away from Pagsanjan. One can reach Paete through the Manila East Road passing through the Rizal-Laguna boundary. Another route is through the South Luzon-Los Banos-Sta Cruz way which is much longer. Any way you take, the trip to Paete is definitely worth the time and effort.

- Konted