TAKA of PAETE

(PAPER-MACHE)
 Taka sa a type of paper-mache created ny using a carved
wooden sculpture as a mold. The craft started in the Laguna
town of Paete. Paper-mache is blended after the mold or takaan
is created.
 Papier-maché
Papier-maché was used for doll heads starting as far back
as 1540, and continued to be used into the earlt 20th century.
The heads were molded in two parts from a mixture of
paper pulp, clay, and plaster, and then glued together. The
head would the be smoothed, painted and varnished.
 Papier-maché is commonly used for large, temporary
sculpture such as Carnival floats. A basic structure of
wood, metal and metal wire is covered in papier- maché.
Once dried, details are added. The papier-maché is then
sanded and painted. Carnival floats can be very large and
comprise a number of characters, props and scenic
elements all organized around a chosen theme. They can
also accommodate several dozens people, including the
operators of the mechanisms. The floats can have movable
parts, like the facial features of a character or its limbs. It
is not unusual for local professional architects, engineers,
painters, sculptors and ceramists to take part in the design
and construction of the floats. Italian float makers are
some of the best in the world.
PAETE'S TAKA
Paete, Laguna, is one of the Philippines' last major creative strongholds and
may be reached through the scenic zigzag of the Eastern Rizal road or the
long stretch of the South Luzon Expressway. The village is well-known for
two things: superb woodcarvers and the golden, fragrant lanzones fruit.

Paete gets its name from paet, a Tagalog term for chisel, a key instrument in
woodcarving. The proper pronunciation of the town's name is presumably
"Pa-e-te," but locals pronounce it "Pay-ti" (Pi-tè) with a guttural "e" sound at
the end. Paetenians only use "Pay-ti" when speaking with guests and
outsiders; when the American Maryknoll missionaries arrived in Paete in the
late 1950s, they even referred to the town as "Piety."
Upon entering the town, you will be
welcomed by workers laying brown
paper or newsprint papier-mâché pieces
(taka) on the roadside for drying. To
complement this picture, your nose will
probably wiggle delightfully to the
smell of gawgaw (starch) paste,
wooden logs, and burning sawdust.
The roadside takas are "carved during any season to
identify any particular season." During the beautiful days
of April, you might come across employees creating
Christmas essential figures of Santa Claus, Rudolph the
Reindeer, and Frosty the Snowman in preparation for the
Christmas season. These designs, on the other hand, are
seasonal and client-requested. Almost every business in
town sells various Filipino-inspired designs of carabao
figurines, Maria Clara dolls, and horses in a variety of
sizes. Some new designs have also been included, such as
querubins, toy soldiers, giraffes, rabbits, and a variety of
fruits in various colors and sizes.
Takas have truly become the pinnacle of folk art. They
come in every brilliant and joyous color combination, as
well as simplistic curvilinear forms, flora and animal
patterns, lovely innocence, and delightful charm. These
designs evolve at a quick pace. The taka and takaan (and
any other cultural standard) normally expand in an
outward direction from their origin. The current
generation appears to have forgotten where the taka came
from. The Paeteos believe that the concept originated in
Mexico, however it differs significantly from what we
have in Paete. Unlike the Mexican "pinata," which is
embellished with cut-off colored paper, Paete's takas are
hand-painted and occasionally small enough for little
girls to use as dolls.
Mexico Pinata
First Recorded Woman Who Creat Taka
According to the Paete Phenomenon exhibited in the Bulwagang Juan
Luna at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Maria Bague made the
first known taka in 1920s. It was wrapped around a mold carved from
wood and painted with decorative pattern that eventually became toys
and ornaments. Unfortunately, nobody knows if Maria Bague’s taka
ever existed as her town was destroyed by fire and almost all traces of
the takas she produced have vanished.

In Paete they likewise had woodcarvings of figures of animals, carts

and men or women. The carvings were molded in paper and paste,
dried out in the sun, then the molds were surgically taken out of its
cast. The product was then put together again, dried another time
and painted brightly to be sold as toys.(Baldemor, 2022)
Taka During
American
Period
The skill of taka-making further developed throughout
the American period when the increasing newspaper
business created more newsprint. However, the arrival
of plastic toys during this time period had its toll on the
taka business, gradually decreasing demand and, as a
result, production. The taka industry did not recover
until the mid-70s and early 80s.
.
Paete has a long history in the visual arts. Acacia, molave, tipolo, and batikuling logs
being loaded onto sawmills or carving shops are common sights here. Unfortunately,
the Philippines' forests are rapidly being destroyed, and plant species are rapidly
disappearing. The townspeople must learn how to replace the trees felled by the
woodcarving industry, as this industry is the only hope of preventing an ecological,
social, and human tragedy.

Since wood is the principal source of woodcarving, the government under President
Corazon Aquino implemented a Total Commercial Log Ban Bill in 1992. The total log
ban was a good first step in restoring our depleted forests. In another instance, one
particular group initiated the “Save the Sierra Madre Movement” to protect the
remaining patch of virgin forest in Luzon. This anti-logging task force, responsible for
confiscating millions of pesos worth of logs and logging equipment, is also one in
helping the government protect our forests.
 GROUP 6
CONTEMPORARY

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