The "A9 ATTRACTION: THE BARONG"

The "A9 ATTRACTION: THE BARONG" is a boutique in Lumban, Laguna that displays and sells various designs of barong and gowns. Some are being sold in malls and some are exported.

The "A9 ATTRACTION: THE BARONG" is owned by Mrs.Adelia Yasto-Arroyo who used to be just a plain housewife and a mother of 9 wonderful children, thus, the name A9. Who would have thought that Adelia a.k.a. Dely only started as an embroiderer/laborer of other embroidery shop, earning only Php 30 a day? With her kids playing around her while she was working, she was inspired to work harder overtime, and to think earnestly of all the possible ways to provide better for her children.

                                                   A successful family:Dely at the middle

Barong industry has been the major provider of employment for Lumanians.A lot of women of various ages and even some men are earning from embroidery.

Dely learned embroidery and started working when she was only a grade 2 pupil, about 8 years old. She was the only member of the family who was into it. But years and years of experience cultivated her to be so much a well-known creative "personality"in the field of embroidery.

On 1985,she started making her own design and sold them to known proprietors during that time. Eventually, she was recognized as well as her children who nonetheless became as much creative not only in the barong designing but in other field of arts-painting, singing, and dancing.

                                                             Jojie Arroyo with his creation

                                                      Joel Arroyo with his painting

LUMBAN EMBROIDERY

Lumban is athe Embroidery Capital of the Philippines. This industry provides employment to a lot of Lumbanians and the supplies of which goes beyond the Philippines borders. Yes, Lumban embroideries are meticulously done by hand such that they are noticed and patronized abroad!

Barong Tagalog is an embroidered formal garment of the Philippines. It literally means "a Tagalog dress", that refers to the Tagalog region (on Luzon Island) where it was believed to have originated.

Long before the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines, the Tagalog people on Luzon Island already wore a dress that can be seen as the origin of the barong Tagalog. The dress reached slightly below the waist,was colourless and had an opening in the front.

An excerpt from the Wikipedia :

A legend persists that the Spaniards made Filipinos wear their barong untucked to distinguish them from the ruling class; its translucent fabric allegedly helped the Spaniards to see that the wearer was not bearing any weapon under the garment. During the Spanish era, rulers required that the native dress of the Filipinos be made of flimsy material to eliminate any possibility of concealed weapons. Supposedly, the native Filipinos were also prohibited from tucking in their shirts, which served to designate their low rank as well as to distinguish them from the people of mixed descent, the mestizaje, and the islanders, or insulares.

Through the years,barong has evolved into different styles and designs, making it more competent in the fashion trend.

LUMBAN

THE LUMBAN, LAGUNA

                                                                                the lumbang tree

         Lumban, a municipality in the province of Laguna is my hometown. It is one of Laguna's oldest town and even the province's capital town-Sta.Cruz, as well as Cavinti and the famous Pagsanjan were once part of it. However, when I worked in Sta.Rosa and lived in Calamba (towns of Laguna), I learned there were still people who don't even know about it and mistaken it as Lucban,Quezon.

          Lucban, Quezon is known for its Pahiyas festival that showcases a street of houses which are adorned with fruits, vegetables, agricultural products, handicrafts and kiping-a rice-made decor that can be eaten grilled or fried.

           Lumban, on the other hand, is no less known as the "Embroidery Capital of the Philippines". Fine Jusi and Piña cloth are embroidered by hand, the finished product is worn by males (and sometimes even by females) as barong tagalog and saya (Filipiñana)by females.
           Wait, Lumban has a lot more to be proud of! It is the home of Lake Caliraya, a man-made lake often visited by nature lovers and sports people. It was created with the construction of Caliraya Dam, an embankment dam,the reservoir of which initially supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric power plant in the Philippines that provides hydroelectric power for Southern Luzon.

          Associated with the hydroelectric power plant which was inaugurated in 1953 by the Napocor (National Power Corporation) is the First Laguna Electric Cooperative (FLECO) that serves 11 municipalities in Laguna.

          Aside from that, Lumban also borders the famous Laguna de Bay (lake of Bay) which is the largest lake in the Philippines and the 3rd largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.Its water extends through the Caliraya Lake and the Pagsanjan Falls,all throughout the manila bay and the pasig river.

          Lumban got its name from "Lumbang tree" or otaheite walnut (aleurites trisperma|). The lumbang tress was once the chief source of oil  for lighting and for culinary purposes. Why people of Lumban at present do not even plant and grow the tree is still a nagging question to the present generation.