07/03/2026
[PROJECT HULMA ON THE NEWS]
โTOUCH MUD AND SAVE GATBUCA ๐ฏ๐คโ
LOOK: Bridging the gap amid the declining attention to Gatbucaโs pottery craftsmanship, BulSU graduating students under Project Hulma led the โPot-Talk: A Pottery Fairโ campaign seminar in Calumpit, Bulacan, on Friday, March 6, highlighting the culture and traditions of the barangay.
The initiative featured guest speaker Mr. Robano Flores, who further informed the eventโs attendees about pagluluwad.
During his talk, he rhetorically asked, โKapag wala nang nagluluwad, Gatbuca pa rin ba ang Gatbuca?โ
In a quick interview with the Al-Manar, Flores stated that the main reason for the decline of Gatbuca's pottery is the insufficient income it provides, citing Nanay Carmelita Baluyotโ the barangayโs last potterโ as living proof of this situation.
โMababa kasi ang kita. Six pesos yung ano [kita] from the start until the end. Isang palayok, six pesos lang napupunta sa kanya,โ underscoring the time-consuming week of preparation yet poorly paid handwork.
He then shared some of his insights on maintaining the pottery craftsmanship, emphasizing that getting hands-on experience is essential for connecting a person to the tradition and the patience it requires. โStart humawak ng putik. Iba kasi yung pakiramdam kapag nahawakan mo,โ he added.
Moreover, Flores stressed that while there are multiple knowledge bearers of pagluluwad in Gatbuca, Carmelita Baluyot is the only one who continues to keep the centuries-old tradition alive.
โMarami silang marunong actually, but isa na lang talaga โyung gumagawa,โ he said.
However, Baluyot plans to retire from the craft in the next three months, which could endanger the pottery culture in Gatbuca, Flores said. | via Ana Saclolo, the Al-Manar
for more stories, follow the Al-Manarโs official website: http://medium.com/