# Woodcraft in the Philipines



## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Carving in the Philippines*

People in the Philippine archipalago have been carving simple images for millenia, but it was the arrival of the Spanish that really created the traditions and style that we see today. The simple "Bulol" carvings of the Cordillera have become the latest trend for interior designers in Manila and are believed to be either rice gods or meant to help in curing illness. Now they clog up the tourist traps of Baguio and the rice terraces, which I still haven,t seen after all this time.

With the Spanish came the Catholic faith, good cooking and the skills to build in stone and it was quickly put to use in the building of some of the most impressive cathedrals in the Spanish colonies. Catholic missionaries soon recruited, or forced depending on who you believe, local Chinese craftsman to create the furnishings. It was the use by the Chinese of Indio apprentices which spread the craft throughout the islands. Filipinos are great imitators ,as any one who,s been in a Karaoke bar here will know, and this gives them the ability to reproduce a pretty good estimation of what you want to have made. I,ve seen anything from five foot tall Grizzly bears to the smallest chess pieces. Anyone wanting a saint for their house this is the place to get one.It,s in San Fernando near the lahar flows from the Pinatubo eruption. And when the timber supplies are low they even carve the lahar into garden ornaments!

Many towns in Pampanga became centres of carved furniture production and any drive in the country will lead you past shop after shop of the stuff. It,s up to you to find the best price if you,re any good at haggling.This is the raw state that you find most of the furniture, although perhaps not as raw as this, then you specify the colour and fabrics. Customers should aware that some furniture can be a little on the wet side, I have a Nara side chair that,s only stopped moveing after two years.

Carving at it,s best can be found in the town of Paete ( pa-e-te). It,s even named after a woodworking tool. The Paet is the Tagalog word for chisel. And incidentaly it,s also the place where the yo-yo was invented! Life for the carvers has become difficult since the logging ban was introduced by Cory Aquinos administration and although it,s since been lifted many of the species suitable for carving are becoming rare and are now protected, although illegal logging is unfortunatly common. I believe that there is a Mission Dolores in San Francisco that has a pulpit that was carved here and St Peters also has some crucifixes. This is a piece I bought a couple of years ago for the princely sum of 7000peso ( $155 USD). Its titled Danmed soul and stands 32" tall carved in Kamagong. My camera won,t really pick up the detail.


I intend to post more about the workshops and craftsman of this country. Stay tuned.


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## Moai (Feb 9, 2009)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Carving in the Philippines*
> 
> People in the Philippine archipalago have been carving simple images for millenia, but it was the arrival of the Spanish that really created the traditions and style that we see today. The simple "Bulol" carvings of the Cordillera have become the latest trend for interior designers in Manila and are believed to be either rice gods or meant to help in curing illness. Now they clog up the tourist traps of Baguio and the rice terraces, which I still haven,t seen after all this time.
> 
> ...


Impressive the craftsmanship in those carvings…..the Loveseat work is beautiful, so rich!
I am originally from Colombia, South America, and its something very similar, same spanish legacy, the carving is very popular….it's very interesting how the same "canon" (Spanish Catholic colonization) produced the unique interpretations, with their own local ingredients, around the world. That carving at the seat is awesome!
Thanks for the nice pictures!


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Carving in the Philippines*
> 
> People in the Philippine archipalago have been carving simple images for millenia, but it was the arrival of the Spanish that really created the traditions and style that we see today. The simple "Bulol" carvings of the Cordillera have become the latest trend for interior designers in Manila and are believed to be either rice gods or meant to help in curing illness. Now they clog up the tourist traps of Baguio and the rice terraces, which I still haven,t seen after all this time.
> 
> ...


Thanks Moai. With the Galleon trade running between spain,Mexico and Manila it,s no surprise that the carving culture made it,s way here. Surprisingly other aspects of Spanish culture didn,t stick here as it has in Central and South America. Nobody speaks spanish here.


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## manilaboy (Aug 17, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Carving in the Philippines*
> 
> People in the Philippine archipalago have been carving simple images for millenia, but it was the arrival of the Spanish that really created the traditions and style that we see today. The simple "Bulol" carvings of the Cordillera have become the latest trend for interior designers in Manila and are believed to be either rice gods or meant to help in curing illness. Now they clog up the tourist traps of Baguio and the rice terraces, which I still haven,t seen after all this time.
> 
> ...


Spanish is still spoken in the Philippines and it is the language of the old rich. Kinda elitist. The Ayalas still speak in Spanish as well as the other families of Spanish descent. I think Pres. Arroyo speaks Spanish at home. I've done four semesters of Spanish in college so I can understand and do simple sentences in Spanish. In Zamboanga City in Mindanao, they speak a Cebuano/Spanish mix. It is called Chavacano. It is very much alive and the Zamboanguenos are proud of it. In Cavite City, they also have Chavacano but it is a Tagalog/Spanish mix. But because of Cavite's proximity to Manila. It is disappearing fast if it still has not.

You can see the Spanish influence everywhere. Language, religion, education, art, fashion, cuisine etc. It is even in the country's name. The country is named after King Phillip II of Spain.


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## dennis (Aug 3, 2006)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Carving in the Philippines*
> 
> People in the Philippine archipalago have been carving simple images for millenia, but it was the arrival of the Spanish that really created the traditions and style that we see today. The simple "Bulol" carvings of the Cordillera have become the latest trend for interior designers in Manila and are believed to be either rice gods or meant to help in curing illness. Now they clog up the tourist traps of Baguio and the rice terraces, which I still haven,t seen after all this time.
> 
> ...


Informative blog. Thanks. Those prices just make me wonder about how woodworkers in that part of the world survive.


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Carving in the Philippines*
> 
> People in the Philippine archipalago have been carving simple images for millenia, but it was the arrival of the Spanish that really created the traditions and style that we see today. The simple "Bulol" carvings of the Cordillera have become the latest trend for interior designers in Manila and are believed to be either rice gods or meant to help in curing illness. Now they clog up the tourist traps of Baguio and the rice terraces, which I still haven,t seen after all this time.
> 
> ...


*Manilaboy* I stand corrected. I can honestly say i,ve never heard any of those languages spoken and I definitely won,t get to meet any of the Ayala family any time soon, let alone the President. And you certainly won,t see this white boy in Zamboanga. I just meant it,s not as obvious here.

*Dennis* I guess it all comes down to the difference cost of living. My living costs in Manila, not including food or water, only run to about $200USD a month, in the provinces it a lot less.


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## manilaboy (Aug 17, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Carving in the Philippines*
> 
> People in the Philippine archipalago have been carving simple images for millenia, but it was the arrival of the Spanish that really created the traditions and style that we see today. The simple "Bulol" carvings of the Cordillera have become the latest trend for interior designers in Manila and are believed to be either rice gods or meant to help in curing illness. Now they clog up the tourist traps of Baguio and the rice terraces, which I still haven,t seen after all this time.
> 
> ...


Kiwi1969 - You're smarter than the others ;-)

Dennis - Just get any of the Ayalas to be your client and you are good to go for the rest of your life. Kidding aside, if your work really has style and fine craftsmanship, there is a market for it. There are specialist stores offering original contemporary designs and some of them are known all over the world.


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Workshops in the Philippines*

Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
The workshops are alot like the ones we see in museum villages and i,m sure Roy Underhill would feel right at home here, but perhaps Norm Abram might struggle with tools like this.The saws not running if you were wondering

In cities like Cebu it,s a different story. Cebu is the centre of the export furniture industry and has many high tech factories contracted to European and American customers, Ethan Allen for example, has a plant here. These facilities are well gaurded and rarely signposted, visits are by apointment only and industrial spying is a fact of life. If you want to see furniture that blows your socks off then Cebu furniture show is must see. Manila runs second to Cebu and this is where the picture below was taken. This is where I worked for three years, it must have been a monday morning as it wasn,t always this tidy!

Working here does have it,s perks.

Stay tunned for part three.


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## daltxguy (Sep 7, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


Very cool. Thanks for sharing that. Nothing worse than having a chicken run across your freshly finished table - well, almost.


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


Thanks for the post, Daryl. That is certainly an interesting shop in the video.


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## woodworm (Jul 27, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


Thanks for sharing the video and photos with us.

The video I watched would make me question my self…"am I comfortable working wood in that enviroment as compared to my present small shop? When I said comfortable I mean it is in real situation I am having now. Today I may be turning a bed post, and when I wake up the next morning I may have only an empty hut, thus I got to close shop! LOL….


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## dennis (Aug 3, 2006)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


Very interesting video. Talk about low overhead. I do like the idea of a wall free shop.


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


Pretty amazing insight to how others do it.

Really appreciate the post.


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## manilaboy (Aug 17, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


And you guys think you do not have enough clamps? Just look at the one chiselling a mortise on a wokrpiece held between his bare feet.

daltxguy - a chicken running around will always be tolerated. Cockfighting is the number one sport in the country. And these guys are very passionate about it. They will bet a major portion of their hard earned wages in jobs like these on a cockfight. To them, it is well worth it. It relieves them of the stress of the daily rigors of life.

Dennis - Low overhead? Low revenue also. The man taking the video says the price of the door is Pesos 7,000. At current exchange rates, that is just a little under US$150.

Keep them coming Daryl. I love to see/hear insights and ideas of the country from an independent point of view.

Rico


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## peruturner (Mar 12, 2009)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


That is the way here in peru guys work I se it every day, if you gys care enter this place and see how is the work(turning)in the jungle of peru
www.exoticwoodworld.com
go to the shop and see all of it ,also the fantastic woods there


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


*Peruturner* Thats a great site. I wish people in the Philipines were that responsible when it comes to managing their natural resources.
I am quite happy in a primitive shop but I would add a floor and evict the chickens! An open shop is ok in this climate and in the province they all know each other anyway so security isn,t really an issue. It is fascinating to me to see how others do it but I do believe if you gave these guys the chance to have a shop like the ones featured on this site they would jump at it. 
Glad you all enjoyed the post.

*Manilaboy* I,ve seen a cockfight near lake Taal and it,s intense, noisy and confusing and I don,t recomend any foreigner go to one without a trusted guide. It,s always risky commenting on someone elses country so if any offence is caused I apologize in advance, feel free to correct me if I make a mistake.


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## manilaboy (Aug 17, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


Kiwi,

Don't worry about me. I don't get offended by other people's opinion of how we are here in the Philippines. That's why I prefer to hear/read/see an outsider's view, I can readily reason why we do it our way. I will never say you are wrong. I will just say why it is so in the Philippines.

I can understand your view of a cockfight/cockpit. But it is the only place in the country that a politician can be trusted. You name it. Congressmen, governors, mayors. You can find them there. And those birds are no chickens when they fight.


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## Newton (Jun 29, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Workshops in the Philippines*
> 
> Most people assume that workshops in Asia are pretty primitive, and for the most part they are absolutely right. The local carpenter is a real jack of all trades by necessity, especially in the provinces where retail stores as we know them don,t exist. Local customers place their orders at the workshop which is usually tacked on to the front of a house or some other structure. Anything is available from architectural to furnishings, and despite the primitive conditions of some shops, is of a sufficiently good quality to meet the needs of the client. In fact some of it is simply stunning. I found this video on an expats blog site here bigjimsphilippinesexperience.com/video-index.htm
> http://i552.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid552.photobucket.com/albums/jj354/sawdustandrice/making_furniture.flv
> ...


Holy Crap! That was very enlightening. How about a show of hands from all of you Lumberjocks out there who would finish their furniture projects outdoors? This is definately what this site is all about….sharing and seeing how others do it. Thanks


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Logging*

Haven,t been out and about much so no pretty pictures this time.
Just been reading up on the Forestry industry here and was a little shocked by what I found , although after nearly 4 yrs here not much shocks me, but this did. Did you know that Luan is almost extinct here! Luan is the primary wood sold as Philippine mahogany, among about six other species including Tanguile, meranti, various species of shorea, saraya, bagtikan, and mayapis . According to Holden Clarke of Clarke veneers and plywoods the philippines exports 1% of what was exported 10 yrs ago. What you are getting is probably from Malaysia or Indonesia. Between corruption, mismanagement and internal conflict ( mills have been burned out for not paying "protection money" to the MILF and NPA) the once abundant stocks of luan are gone.
And it doesn,t stop there. Narra is the most famous and revered tree in the country, used for everything from floorboards to fine furniture, but it to is almost gone. It,s been illegal to log it for years now but the lure of big money is too much for the poachers who can get 140 peso a board foot for it, compared to around 30peso for gmellina or palochina (pine). In april 2007 police stopped a fish dealers truck and behind the crates was 3000 board feet of Narra flitches. Thats around 420000 peso in the raw and well over a million after it,s made into furniture. To put that in perspective, the 2 bedroom townhouse I live in has a market value of about 1.2 million.
In a town in central Luzon (I,m being deliberatly vague on names for my own good here) the son of the mayor was convicted of illegal logging in 2004 and yet today is connected with a sawmill processing an estimated 65000 bft. According to members of the Task force Sierra Madre,the loggers use "recycled" permits from the government supplied by insiders. Two employees in Quezon province are facing charges for similar activity. Loggers use the rivers to evade checkpoints but police raids did manage to seize 80000 bfd from the Northern Sierra Madres but it,s really a drop in the bucket. It,s gotten to the point where priests from Isabela have engaged in hunger strikes to protest the continuing illegal logging. Friars leading the movement have also been sent death threats.
Theres no quick fix for this as the striping of natural resources is a continuing problem in all industries here including minning and fishing and the needs of the farmers and fishermen must be considered. Replanting efforts have been somewhat unsuccessful as most of the Native species are so slow growing, although pine and Gmellina plantations have been successful. 
Where does this leave guys like me? It must be assumed any hardwood I buy is unlikely to be legal and I cant morally justify the purchase unless it comes from demolition yards, which just leaves the plantation woods. Gmellina is an excellent timber. Stable and easy to machine with a grain that can have a lovely shimmer to it when quarter sawn, it also stains well. The other option is Palochina which seems to be various species of pine that suit country peices well, although filipinos look down there noses at it ,but being from a pine producing nation I think it,s pretty good, and cheap. It,s just another challenge for the woodworker here


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## stanley2 (Jan 4, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Logging*
> 
> Haven,t been out and about much so no pretty pictures this time.
> Just been reading up on the Forestry industry here and was a little shocked by what I found , although after nearly 4 yrs here not much shocks me, but this did. Did you know that Luan is almost extinct here! Luan is the primary wood sold as Philippine mahogany, among about six other species including Tanguile, meranti, various species of shorea, saraya, bagtikan, and mayapis . According to Holden Clarke of Clarke veneers and plywoods the philippines exports 1% of what was exported 10 yrs ago. What you are getting is probably from Malaysia or Indonesia. Between corruption, mismanagement and internal conflict ( mills have been burned out for not paying "protection money" to the MILF and NPA) the once abundant stocks of luan are gone.
> ...


Very interesting - looking forward to your next post.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Logging*
> 
> Haven,t been out and about much so no pretty pictures this time.
> Just been reading up on the Forestry industry here and was a little shocked by what I found , although after nearly 4 yrs here not much shocks me, but this did. Did you know that Luan is almost extinct here! Luan is the primary wood sold as Philippine mahogany, among about six other species including Tanguile, meranti, various species of shorea, saraya, bagtikan, and mayapis . According to Holden Clarke of Clarke veneers and plywoods the philippines exports 1% of what was exported 10 yrs ago. What you are getting is probably from Malaysia or Indonesia. Between corruption, mismanagement and internal conflict ( mills have been burned out for not paying "protection money" to the MILF and NPA) the once abundant stocks of luan are gone.
> ...


I have to admit, it is tough on us woodworkers at times. We are here after a lot of other people beat us to some of the best materials. Now we are beating our childeren to some good stuff as well. Hopefully we are better at preserving enough that all our resources are available to future generations. My response has been to use exotics sparingly for smaller projects and to really try to emphasize the beauty of what we do have.

I think veneering is also a great way to make less common materials go much farther. I still need to learn that skill though.

Thanks for the post. I love your ones with pictures, but everything you write is intriguing too.


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Logging*
> 
> Haven,t been out and about much so no pretty pictures this time.
> Just been reading up on the Forestry industry here and was a little shocked by what I found , although after nearly 4 yrs here not much shocks me, but this did. Did you know that Luan is almost extinct here! Luan is the primary wood sold as Philippine mahogany, among about six other species including Tanguile, meranti, various species of shorea, saraya, bagtikan, and mayapis . According to Holden Clarke of Clarke veneers and plywoods the philippines exports 1% of what was exported 10 yrs ago. What you are getting is probably from Malaysia or Indonesia. Between corruption, mismanagement and internal conflict ( mills have been burned out for not paying "protection money" to the MILF and NPA) the once abundant stocks of luan are gone.
> ...


Apreciate everyone for taking the time to view my posts. I,m always thinking of subjects that might be of interest.


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## carlbigman (Feb 23, 2009)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Logging*
> 
> Haven,t been out and about much so no pretty pictures this time.
> Just been reading up on the Forestry industry here and was a little shocked by what I found , although after nearly 4 yrs here not much shocks me, but this did. Did you know that Luan is almost extinct here! Luan is the primary wood sold as Philippine mahogany, among about six other species including Tanguile, meranti, various species of shorea, saraya, bagtikan, and mayapis . According to Holden Clarke of Clarke veneers and plywoods the philippines exports 1% of what was exported 10 yrs ago. What you are getting is probably from Malaysia or Indonesia. Between corruption, mismanagement and internal conflict ( mills have been burned out for not paying "protection money" to the MILF and NPA) the once abundant stocks of luan are gone.
> ...


Hi All,

I have had my own little mission to the Philippines for the past 6 years and I have come to know many people there and I keep abreast of things affecting their country, too. Another problem that this illegal logging presents is that when done without proper forest management and replanting it denudes the hillsides and causes a severe increase in mudslides as the root systems that hold the soils together are gravely destabilized. With the advent of the Typhoon season there and the drastic increase in rainfall, disaster is just a few raindrops away at any given time. This was the case where a whole entire school was buried in over 36 feet of mud in the recent past years and even with a contingent of our own Army Corps of Engineers dispatched to try to aid in reaching the staff and students who were virtually buried alive in all that mud it proved to be a fruitless but heroic attempt. They could not be reached and the mud could not be restrained by the retaining wall they tried to insert around the site long enough to possibly save a few lives. It was a total tragedy and a terrible loss of innocent lives. Another factor in illegal logging is also for domestic use of wood as fuel to cook with as many Pinoy people cannot afford to own an oven or electricity still, which makes me wonder why they don't retrofit their entire nation with 110-120 current to make it more accessible than their current 220 volt systems. Why oh why… who knows why? I don't! Carl


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Logging*
> 
> Haven,t been out and about much so no pretty pictures this time.
> Just been reading up on the Forestry industry here and was a little shocked by what I found , although after nearly 4 yrs here not much shocks me, but this did. Did you know that Luan is almost extinct here! Luan is the primary wood sold as Philippine mahogany, among about six other species including Tanguile, meranti, various species of shorea, saraya, bagtikan, and mayapis . According to Holden Clarke of Clarke veneers and plywoods the philippines exports 1% of what was exported 10 yrs ago. What you are getting is probably from Malaysia or Indonesia. Between corruption, mismanagement and internal conflict ( mills have been burned out for not paying "protection money" to the MILF and NPA) the once abundant stocks of luan are gone.
> ...


Hi carl.I remember those tradgedies and you are right about the firewood use. Even if they do retrofit the electrical system ( good luck with that one)the kw cost is still artificially high for most to afford. Even I switch off my refrigerator at night to save cash. Don,t try to figure out why things are the way they are here, it drives you crazy. Maybe we can catch up for a cold san miguel someday.


----------



## manilaboy (Aug 17, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Logging*
> 
> Haven,t been out and about much so no pretty pictures this time.
> Just been reading up on the Forestry industry here and was a little shocked by what I found , although after nearly 4 yrs here not much shocks me, but this did. Did you know that Luan is almost extinct here! Luan is the primary wood sold as Philippine mahogany, among about six other species including Tanguile, meranti, various species of shorea, saraya, bagtikan, and mayapis . According to Holden Clarke of Clarke veneers and plywoods the philippines exports 1% of what was exported 10 yrs ago. What you are getting is probably from Malaysia or Indonesia. Between corruption, mismanagement and internal conflict ( mills have been burned out for not paying "protection money" to the MILF and NPA) the once abundant stocks of luan are gone.
> ...


Hi Everyone!

Nice post Kiwi. I agree with your observations. Most of the problems in the country have grown so complex that a straightforward solution is not likely to work. One of the things that complicates matters is culture. Over the years we Filipinos evolved into taking everything for granted. We have so much of everything that we really do not care if we cut a tree for firewood. During the early years population was not a problem. So nature can pretty much take care of itself. People lived a simple life. What they need nature always provides. During the early part of the 1900's mechanized systems of tapping these natural resources were introduced. It brought big bucks. It became big business. And nature can no longer keep up. It is only in recent years that the government became serious in its efforts to educate the people about the importance of conserving the country's natural resources.

And the reason why we really did not develop a liking for pine? It is not a native species. Pine trees in Baguio were introduced by the Americans. Narra, kamagong, almaciga, molave, mulawin, yakal, dungon to name a few are all so plentiful then, so much more durable and so much better looking. The endemic species of trees found in the Philippines are numerous that you will be able to find a species suitable for a particular application e.g. dungon - boatbuilding, narra-furniture/house construction, yakal-house contruction (posts/beams), kamagong-furniture. Pine is relegated to crates.

And an ice cold San Miguel beer is one of the best in the world.

Cheers!


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## carlbigman (Feb 23, 2009)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Logging*
> 
> Haven,t been out and about much so no pretty pictures this time.
> Just been reading up on the Forestry industry here and was a little shocked by what I found , although after nearly 4 yrs here not much shocks me, but this did. Did you know that Luan is almost extinct here! Luan is the primary wood sold as Philippine mahogany, among about six other species including Tanguile, meranti, various species of shorea, saraya, bagtikan, and mayapis . According to Holden Clarke of Clarke veneers and plywoods the philippines exports 1% of what was exported 10 yrs ago. What you are getting is probably from Malaysia or Indonesia. Between corruption, mismanagement and internal conflict ( mills have been burned out for not paying "protection money" to the MILF and NPA) the once abundant stocks of luan are gone.
> ...


I'd love to try a San Miguel or two or three… or frou.. mebbee ayt r' ten r' mroe *Hick (LOL!)


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

*the designers and makers*

It,s been said that the Philippines has the best designers in all Asia. Whereas the bulk of the furniture industry follows each other like sheep producing copies of copies, there are some who think outside the box. The best of those are part of *Movement 8* that burst on the scene in 1999 led by *Budji Layug* who,s site can be viewed here. These guys mix wood and natural fibres and their use of bamboo is clever and bold.

If modern mixed media or Bamboo doesn,t float your boat then maybe the work of *Benji reyes* will

Reyes only uses recycled timbers and if you like the work of Nakashima and Maloof then you will need to add this guy to your list. His work sells for a premium in upmarket gallerys and to see a peice in the flesh is something special indeed.There isn,t much on the net about him but you can see more here.
Another fine maker is based in the old spanish town of Vigan (below), which is a must see town if you ever get the chance.

Vigan future heirlooms makes some of the best quality locally made peices that I have seen since i,ve lived here. The fit and finish is world class and you can see more on his website and try to spot the copy of the Greene and Greene writing desk from the Gamble house.


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## daltxguy (Sep 7, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *the designers and makers*
> 
> It,s been said that the Philippines has the best designers in all Asia. Whereas the bulk of the furniture industry follows each other like sheep producing copies of copies, there are some who think outside the box. The best of those are part of *Movement 8* that burst on the scene in 1999 led by *Budji Layug* who,s site can be viewed here. These guys mix wood and natural fibres and their use of bamboo is clever and bold.
> 
> ...


Thanks for posting this. I find the work of Benji Reyes particularly extraordinary ( for my taste)! He should be much better known in the woodworking community.


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## jlsmith5963 (Mar 26, 2009)

kiwi1969 said:


> *the designers and makers*
> 
> It,s been said that the Philippines has the best designers in all Asia. Whereas the bulk of the furniture industry follows each other like sheep producing copies of copies, there are some who think outside the box. The best of those are part of *Movement 8* that burst on the scene in 1999 led by *Budji Layug* who,s site can be viewed here. These guys mix wood and natural fibres and their use of bamboo is clever and bold.
> 
> ...


the Budji posted above doesn't work but a quick google produced this link

http://www.budjibangkok.com/main.htm


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *the designers and makers*
> 
> It,s been said that the Philippines has the best designers in all Asia. Whereas the bulk of the furniture industry follows each other like sheep producing copies of copies, there are some who think outside the box. The best of those are part of *Movement 8* that burst on the scene in 1999 led by *Budji Layug* who,s site can be viewed here. These guys mix wood and natural fibres and their use of bamboo is clever and bold.
> 
> ...


*jlsmith* Original link is right but for some reason won,t work. The Thai retail site is actually better anyway. Thanks for that.

*socal* I,ve been using recycled timbers for the last 15 yrs and have to say I really prefer it over new wood, I like your projects as well.


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## manilaboy (Aug 17, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *the designers and makers*
> 
> It,s been said that the Philippines has the best designers in all Asia. Whereas the bulk of the furniture industry follows each other like sheep producing copies of copies, there are some who think outside the box. The best of those are part of *Movement 8* that burst on the scene in 1999 led by *Budji Layug* who,s site can be viewed here. These guys mix wood and natural fibres and their use of bamboo is clever and bold.
> 
> ...


Hi Everyone,

Again I can only agree that Filipinos are one of the most gifted designers in Asia. This time culture is a positive contributor. You will be able to glean Spanish, Chinese, Indian and Malay influences in these pieces. The early Filipinos have been trading with the Chinese and Indians even before the Spaniards came. That early interaction had greatly contributed to how we look at things and how we express it. After a hundred years, the Philippines is now highly americanized. We are now the third largest English speaking nation in the world. We now eat hamburgers, groove to rap music, watch Oprah etc.

Cheers!


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *the designers and makers*
> 
> It,s been said that the Philippines has the best designers in all Asia. Whereas the bulk of the furniture industry follows each other like sheep producing copies of copies, there are some who think outside the box. The best of those are part of *Movement 8* that burst on the scene in 1999 led by *Budji Layug* who,s site can be viewed here. These guys mix wood and natural fibres and their use of bamboo is clever and bold.
> 
> ...


hi manilaboy, you forgot to mention basketball is the national obsession. I guess I should have noted the outside influences as well, thanks for bringing that up.


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## manilaboy (Aug 17, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *the designers and makers*
> 
> It,s been said that the Philippines has the best designers in all Asia. Whereas the bulk of the furniture industry follows each other like sheep producing copies of copies, there are some who think outside the box. The best of those are part of *Movement 8* that burst on the scene in 1999 led by *Budji Layug* who,s site can be viewed here. These guys mix wood and natural fibres and their use of bamboo is clever and bold.
> 
> ...


Hehehe. Yeah! Any little open space under a tree that can hold a makeshift basketball goal will do!


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## benjireyes (Dec 21, 2009)

kiwi1969 said:


> *the designers and makers*
> 
> It,s been said that the Philippines has the best designers in all Asia. Whereas the bulk of the furniture industry follows each other like sheep producing copies of copies, there are some who think outside the box. The best of those are part of *Movement 8* that burst on the scene in 1999 led by *Budji Layug* who,s site can be viewed here. These guys mix wood and natural fibres and their use of bamboo is clever and bold.
> 
> ...


Hi Daryl, Thanks for the nice comment on my works. i just joined Lumber jocks. Merry Christmas!!!


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

kiwi1969 said:


> *the designers and makers*
> 
> It,s been said that the Philippines has the best designers in all Asia. Whereas the bulk of the furniture industry follows each other like sheep producing copies of copies, there are some who think outside the box. The best of those are part of *Movement 8* that burst on the scene in 1999 led by *Budji Layug* who,s site can be viewed here. These guys mix wood and natural fibres and their use of bamboo is clever and bold.
> 
> ...


Great post. Thanks for the info.


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

*vigan style*

Just thought I would post some pics from a trip to the historic old town of Vigan that myself and my girlfriend did a couple of years ago. If you,re a lover of old buildings and their furnishings then Vigan needs to be on your to do list. Vigan is a heritage listed town with an long history being part of the Manila/aculpolco galleon trade, Founded around 1572 and was one of the first towns in the new Spanish colony to have its own Cathedral, St pauls built in 1574 and the town was almost destroyed in WW2, but if you believe the legends it was saved by the two Japanese officers who had fallen in love with two local girls and decided to disobey orders and prevent Vigans destruction.

Most antique furniture in this country usually gets tagged with the "vigan furniture" label even if it,s not. The best of it is in the Syquia mansion, former residence of President Quirino and the Padre Burgos museum where these photo,s were taken. Mostly made from Narra from the nearby Cordillera mountains, the traditional furniture industry here is still active.




Antique stores are located here on Crisologo street for those with deeper pockets than me.

You can get there by flying to Loag north of vigan and take a bus south for an hour and a half or bus it directly from manila if you don,t mind 14hours on your butt. Accomodation is not bad at Grandpas inn or the R.F Aniceto mansion which has a fine collection of antique furnishings on display, sadly not in the rooms. Food in the area is excelent, try the local Longanisa ( sausage) but check if they give you the local menu or the foreigner one, I didn,t sit 14 hours on a bus to be offered spagetti and hamburgers! And also try the Basi and Duhat wines made from local fruits, very tasty.


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *vigan style*
> 
> Just thought I would post some pics from a trip to the historic old town of Vigan that myself and my girlfriend did a couple of years ago. If you,re a lover of old buildings and their furnishings then Vigan needs to be on your to do list. Vigan is a heritage listed town with an long history being part of the Manila/aculpolco galleon trade, Founded around 1572 and was one of the first towns in the new Spanish colony to have its own Cathedral, St pauls built in 1574 and the town was almost destroyed in WW2, but if you believe the legends it was saved by the two Japanese officers who had fallen in love with two local girls and decided to disobey orders and prevent Vigans destruction.
> 
> ...


This is another great thing about LJ, the opportunity to see architecture and furniture from around the world.
This is something that helps me expand my vision and understanding.

Thanks for sharing.


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## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *vigan style*
> 
> Just thought I would post some pics from a trip to the historic old town of Vigan that myself and my girlfriend did a couple of years ago. If you,re a lover of old buildings and their furnishings then Vigan needs to be on your to do list. Vigan is a heritage listed town with an long history being part of the Manila/aculpolco galleon trade, Founded around 1572 and was one of the first towns in the new Spanish colony to have its own Cathedral, St pauls built in 1574 and the town was almost destroyed in WW2, but if you believe the legends it was saved by the two Japanese officers who had fallen in love with two local girls and decided to disobey orders and prevent Vigans destruction.
> 
> ...


I'm with Todd, except I want to go there especially when you mention local food.


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## johnpoolesc (Mar 14, 2009)

kiwi1969 said:


> *vigan style*
> 
> Just thought I would post some pics from a trip to the historic old town of Vigan that myself and my girlfriend did a couple of years ago. If you,re a lover of old buildings and their furnishings then Vigan needs to be on your to do list. Vigan is a heritage listed town with an long history being part of the Manila/aculpolco galleon trade, Founded around 1572 and was one of the first towns in the new Spanish colony to have its own Cathedral, St pauls built in 1574 and the town was almost destroyed in WW2, but if you believe the legends it was saved by the two Japanese officers who had fallen in love with two local girls and decided to disobey orders and prevent Vigans destruction.
> 
> ...


can anyone imagine doing that mirrowed piece without power tools or titebond.. thanks for sharing


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *vigan style*
> 
> Just thought I would post some pics from a trip to the historic old town of Vigan that myself and my girlfriend did a couple of years ago. If you,re a lover of old buildings and their furnishings then Vigan needs to be on your to do list. Vigan is a heritage listed town with an long history being part of the Manila/aculpolco galleon trade, Founded around 1572 and was one of the first towns in the new Spanish colony to have its own Cathedral, St pauls built in 1574 and the town was almost destroyed in WW2, but if you believe the legends it was saved by the two Japanese officers who had fallen in love with two local girls and decided to disobey orders and prevent Vigans destruction.
> 
> ...


So, like, if we join together and arrange a tour, you'll be the guide right? Then we can all spend a day or two in your shop


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## manilaboy (Aug 17, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *vigan style*
> 
> Just thought I would post some pics from a trip to the historic old town of Vigan that myself and my girlfriend did a couple of years ago. If you,re a lover of old buildings and their furnishings then Vigan needs to be on your to do list. Vigan is a heritage listed town with an long history being part of the Manila/aculpolco galleon trade, Founded around 1572 and was one of the first towns in the new Spanish colony to have its own Cathedral, St pauls built in 1574 and the town was almost destroyed in WW2, but if you believe the legends it was saved by the two Japanese officers who had fallen in love with two local girls and decided to disobey orders and prevent Vigans destruction.
> 
> ...


I envy you Kiwi. You have only been to the Philippines for two years and you've seen Vigan. In my 49 years, I have only gone North only as far as San Juan, La Union. And to think that my grandfather is from the nearby town of Magsingal.

Even in Manila, you will still be able to see old ancestral houses. Malacanang is one. Although it has gone through several iterations. And if you look around it, you will see centuries old wooden houses in various states of disrepair and neglect. I think everyone will agree that maintaining and repairing an old house is no easy task - money-wise or skill-wise. I grew up in a little fishing town north of Manila. There used to be several american colonial style houses. Most of them were torn down. Some in various stages of neglect. Luckily, one was taken apart piece by piece and rebuilt in another location.

All over the Philippines, you will still be able to see these houses. Specially those of the priveleged and the influential.


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *vigan style*
> 
> Just thought I would post some pics from a trip to the historic old town of Vigan that myself and my girlfriend did a couple of years ago. If you,re a lover of old buildings and their furnishings then Vigan needs to be on your to do list. Vigan is a heritage listed town with an long history being part of the Manila/aculpolco galleon trade, Founded around 1572 and was one of the first towns in the new Spanish colony to have its own Cathedral, St pauls built in 1574 and the town was almost destroyed in WW2, but if you believe the legends it was saved by the two Japanese officers who had fallen in love with two local girls and decided to disobey orders and prevent Vigans destruction.
> 
> ...


Gary i,ve seriously thought of starting a tourist business involving architecture,furniture and food, not to mention beaches beer and the odd night out on the town. maybe one day.


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Trees, bamboo,palms and their uses*

The Philippines is finally moveing again after the holy week, Easter break. The entire nation simply shuts down over this period as everyone goes home to the provinces and attends a myriad of church services and spectacles. I still have yet to go to Pampanga to see the guys who litterally get nailled to crosses. Maybe next year. My original plan had been to end this series with a visit to a couple of nearby furniture stores and get some pictures and prices but that had to be put off so I will share with you a website from a local company dealing in reclaimed Philippine architectural timbers and furnishings.Malatumbaga.com has an impressive range of timbers as you will see on the site and it,s exactly the kind of place I love dealing with as most of my woodworking career has been with recycled wood . The link will first take you to the timbers page where you can see the vast range of species available here and what they are used for. Originaly I planned to just copy/paste to this blog, but the list is simply to big, so you can check it out for yourself and then peruse the site at your leisure. It,s great having this resource 10mins away from my house.
For something different here a forest dweller from Philippine legend. I swear it,s all true!

The Kapre is a Philippine mythical creature like a tree demon, but with more human characteristics. It is described as being a tall, brown, hairy male with a beard, smoking a big tobacco pipe or cigar ( actually sounds like most expats I know!). It,s said they dwell in big trees like acacias, mangoes, bamboo and banyan. The Kapre wears a loincloth, and is believed to carry a white stone, a little smaller in size than a quail egg. Should any person obtain this stone, the kapre could grant wishes. Kapres are not necessarily evil. They may make contact with people to offer friendship, or if it is attracted to a woman. If a kapre falls in love with a human, then it will follow its "love interest" throughout life. Kapres are also said to play pranks on people, frequently making travelers become disoriented and lose their way in the mountains or in the woods. It is also believe to have the ability to confuse people even at their own familiar surroundings; for instance, someone who forgets that they are in their own garden or home are said to be have been tricked by a kapre. Reports of experiencing kapre enchantment include seeing rustling tree branches even if the wind is not strong, hearing loud laughter or voices coming from an unseen being, witnessing lots of smoke from the top of a tree or seeing big fiery eyes at night from a tree; as well as actually seeing a kapre walking by in forested areas. It is also believed that abundant fireflies in woody areas are the embers from the kapre's lit tobacco.


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## daltxguy (Sep 7, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Trees, bamboo,palms and their uses*
> 
> The Philippines is finally moveing again after the holy week, Easter break. The entire nation simply shuts down over this period as everyone goes home to the provinces and attends a myriad of church services and spectacles. I still have yet to go to Pampanga to see the guys who litterally get nailled to crosses. Maybe next year. My original plan had been to end this series with a visit to a couple of nearby furniture stores and get some pictures and prices but that had to be put off so I will share with you a website from a local company dealing in reclaimed Philippine architectural timbers and furnishings.Malatumbaga.com has an impressive range of timbers as you will see on the site and it,s exactly the kind of place I love dealing with as most of my woodworking career has been with recycled wood . The link will first take you to the timbers page where you can see the vast range of species available here and what they are used for. Originaly I planned to just copy/paste to this blog, but the list is simply to big, so you can check it out for yourself and then peruse the site at your leisure. It,s great having this resource 10mins away from my house.
> For something different here a forest dweller from Philippine legend. I swear it,s all true!
> ...


That legend explains a lot. Thanks for sharing it. It must be true, I'm pretty sure I've spotted the Kapre in that picture you included, just like you described…

Now, where are my glasses…

I noticed they have a lot of used beams, so I suppose that timber framing is very traditional there. I've just come across the "Nuki" joint used in China and known in Japan and probably many other places and am fascinated. Did this joinery wizardry make its way to the Philippines as well? If so, is it still practiced? I mean are there still master joiners there?


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Trees, bamboo,palms and their uses*
> 
> The Philippines is finally moveing again after the holy week, Easter break. The entire nation simply shuts down over this period as everyone goes home to the provinces and attends a myriad of church services and spectacles. I still have yet to go to Pampanga to see the guys who litterally get nailled to crosses. Maybe next year. My original plan had been to end this series with a visit to a couple of nearby furniture stores and get some pictures and prices but that had to be put off so I will share with you a website from a local company dealing in reclaimed Philippine architectural timbers and furnishings.Malatumbaga.com has an impressive range of timbers as you will see on the site and it,s exactly the kind of place I love dealing with as most of my woodworking career has been with recycled wood . The link will first take you to the timbers page where you can see the vast range of species available here and what they are used for. Originaly I planned to just copy/paste to this blog, but the list is simply to big, so you can check it out for yourself and then peruse the site at your leisure. It,s great having this resource 10mins away from my house.
> For something different here a forest dweller from Philippine legend. I swear it,s all true!
> ...


We must have kapres here in Western WA; something is confusing me all the time. We have 100 foot fir trees with a few fet of the house. I'm sure he's up there!!


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Trees, bamboo,palms and their uses*
> 
> The Philippines is finally moveing again after the holy week, Easter break. The entire nation simply shuts down over this period as everyone goes home to the provinces and attends a myriad of church services and spectacles. I still have yet to go to Pampanga to see the guys who litterally get nailled to crosses. Maybe next year. My original plan had been to end this series with a visit to a couple of nearby furniture stores and get some pictures and prices but that had to be put off so I will share with you a website from a local company dealing in reclaimed Philippine architectural timbers and furnishings.Malatumbaga.com has an impressive range of timbers as you will see on the site and it,s exactly the kind of place I love dealing with as most of my woodworking career has been with recycled wood . The link will first take you to the timbers page where you can see the vast range of species available here and what they are used for. Originaly I planned to just copy/paste to this blog, but the list is simply to big, so you can check it out for yourself and then peruse the site at your leisure. It,s great having this resource 10mins away from my house.
> For something different here a forest dweller from Philippine legend. I swear it,s all true!
> ...


Steve, according to what i,ve read about it, the original master joiners originally were japanese and chinese but they seemed to actually work in the spanish traditions. The timber framed house was common. Most ancestral homes stand on posts made from multiple tree trunks supporting the upper floors and roof. The stone lower walls are infill with butressed corners to counter the devastating earthquakes that have leveled Manila on more than one occasion. As for master joiners now, It,s doubtful given the love affair the filipino builder has with concrete and steel. Incidently the kiwis are trying to market structural pine here as an alternative for a more earthquake proof house but there is resistance to pine being used as its seen as inferior to native woods and cement breeze blocks are cheap.
Topamax, he,s watching you right now.


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## TwangyOne (Apr 21, 2009)

kiwi1969 said:


> *Trees, bamboo,palms and their uses*
> 
> The Philippines is finally moveing again after the holy week, Easter break. The entire nation simply shuts down over this period as everyone goes home to the provinces and attends a myriad of church services and spectacles. I still have yet to go to Pampanga to see the guys who litterally get nailled to crosses. Maybe next year. My original plan had been to end this series with a visit to a couple of nearby furniture stores and get some pictures and prices but that had to be put off so I will share with you a website from a local company dealing in reclaimed Philippine architectural timbers and furnishings.Malatumbaga.com has an impressive range of timbers as you will see on the site and it,s exactly the kind of place I love dealing with as most of my woodworking career has been with recycled wood . The link will first take you to the timbers page where you can see the vast range of species available here and what they are used for. Originaly I planned to just copy/paste to this blog, but the list is simply to big, so you can check it out for yourself and then peruse the site at your leisure. It,s great having this resource 10mins away from my house.
> For something different here a forest dweller from Philippine legend. I swear it,s all true!
> ...


Wow, I envy you. My grandfather was filipino, and I've never gone over to see "The Island" as he used to call it. I am currently actually trying to find some hardwood from the Philippines for a project I have planned for my Grandma, but being stuck in North-Central Indiana doesn't bring much my way lol, well just plywood. Grandpa never told me any stories of these Kapres though, thanks for sharing!


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

*How much?*

So you made the move to the Philippines and you want to furnish your house with some nice examples of locally made furniture, how much is it going to set you back. If your in Manila expect to pay more than you would in other urban centers like Cebu or Davao, but even so you won,t break the bank. A sala set, like the one here, usually consisting of a sofa, two chairs a coffee table and two side tables, will cost you around 55000 peso (US $1150) The somewhat awful photo shows it as you will find it in the shop awaiting final finishing and upholstery which is then chosen by you. The wood on this set is Molave and weighs a ton so forget shipping this set home in your excess baggage, seriously it took two of us to lift it!.

The display case here, made from Narra, is selling for 25000peso (US $520). This one took a month to complete start to finish, stands around 7 ft tall, comes with glass shelves and has matching carvings on the bottom. The finish is typical here, thick heavy orange looking goop that completly obscures the timber and i,ve yet to understand why they insist on useing it when there are much better options out there. But for $520 bucks it still looks great.

This cabinet can be yours for about 20000 peso, with a bit of haggling. Thats about US $420. 420 bucks! You can,t even buy the wood for that price. Well you can here. The timber used on this example is Gmelina thats been stained. and it,s all hand carved.

How much for a dinning table and chairs? How longs a piece of string. They vary fom 10000 pesos for a four seater up to six figures for the eight seaters and above. They are usually pretty solid in the undercarriage department. This Gmelina table is over 8 ft long and all the rails are at least 2inchs thick.

Shop around and you,ll find something you like, but never accept the first price your given, especially if your a foriegner. The additional cost is known locally as " skin tax" or as a friend called it "long nose tax" and they won,t be upset if you negotiate. But do check it over before you sign up for anything, some of the pieces I saw in this store had insect damage and doors and drawers that didn,t quite fit right. Delivery is usually thrown in if you live close enough. Happy shopping.


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## wwbeds (Jul 1, 2007)

kiwi1969 said:


> *How much?*
> 
> So you made the move to the Philippines and you want to furnish your house with some nice examples of locally made furniture, how much is it going to set you back. If your in Manila expect to pay more than you would in other urban centers like Cebu or Davao, but even so you won,t break the bank. A sala set, like the one here, usually consisting of a sofa, two chairs a coffee table and two side tables, will cost you around 55000 peso (US $1150) The somewhat awful photo shows it as you will find it in the shop awaiting final finishing and upholstery which is then chosen by you. The wood on this set is Molave and weighs a ton so forget shipping this set home in your excess baggage, seriously it took two of us to lift it!.
> 
> ...


Those are nice pieces. I am trying to plan a trip to Davao City in the next year or so…if my wife will let me go. I wish I had room in a suit case of some furniture. Thanks for the post.


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## woodworm (Jul 27, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *How much?*
> 
> So you made the move to the Philippines and you want to furnish your house with some nice examples of locally made furniture, how much is it going to set you back. If your in Manila expect to pay more than you would in other urban centers like Cebu or Davao, but even so you won,t break the bank. A sala set, like the one here, usually consisting of a sofa, two chairs a coffee table and two side tables, will cost you around 55000 peso (US $1150) The somewhat awful photo shows it as you will find it in the shop awaiting final finishing and upholstery which is then chosen by you. The wood on this set is Molave and weighs a ton so forget shipping this set home in your excess baggage, seriously it took two of us to lift it!.
> 
> ...


They are so beautiful.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *How much?*
> 
> So you made the move to the Philippines and you want to furnish your house with some nice examples of locally made furniture, how much is it going to set you back. If your in Manila expect to pay more than you would in other urban centers like Cebu or Davao, but even so you won,t break the bank. A sala set, like the one here, usually consisting of a sofa, two chairs a coffee table and two side tables, will cost you around 55000 peso (US $1150) The somewhat awful photo shows it as you will find it in the shop awaiting final finishing and upholstery which is then chosen by you. The wood on this set is Molave and weighs a ton so forget shipping this set home in your excess baggage, seriously it took two of us to lift it!.
> 
> ...


wow, thanks for the pricing info… quite remarkable indeed!


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## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *How much?*
> 
> So you made the move to the Philippines and you want to furnish your house with some nice examples of locally made furniture, how much is it going to set you back. If your in Manila expect to pay more than you would in other urban centers like Cebu or Davao, but even so you won,t break the bank. A sala set, like the one here, usually consisting of a sofa, two chairs a coffee table and two side tables, will cost you around 55000 peso (US $1150) The somewhat awful photo shows it as you will find it in the shop awaiting final finishing and upholstery which is then chosen by you. The wood on this set is Molave and weighs a ton so forget shipping this set home in your excess baggage, seriously it took two of us to lift it!.
> 
> ...


Hey chris enjoy your trip to Davao, it,s a wonderful town. Good place to stay is Drifters apartelle, good food and a bar with free internet, I think around 1000peso a night. Checkout Samal island and Mt apo if you get the time.


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## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *How much?*
> 
> So you made the move to the Philippines and you want to furnish your house with some nice examples of locally made furniture, how much is it going to set you back. If your in Manila expect to pay more than you would in other urban centers like Cebu or Davao, but even so you won,t break the bank. A sala set, like the one here, usually consisting of a sofa, two chairs a coffee table and two side tables, will cost you around 55000 peso (US $1150) The somewhat awful photo shows it as you will find it in the shop awaiting final finishing and upholstery which is then chosen by you. The wood on this set is Molave and weighs a ton so forget shipping this set home in your excess baggage, seriously it took two of us to lift it!.
> 
> ...


Beautiful craftsmanship. It's good to see that they are able to create works such as these.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

kiwi1969 said:


> *How much?*
> 
> So you made the move to the Philippines and you want to furnish your house with some nice examples of locally made furniture, how much is it going to set you back. If your in Manila expect to pay more than you would in other urban centers like Cebu or Davao, but even so you won,t break the bank. A sala set, like the one here, usually consisting of a sofa, two chairs a coffee table and two side tables, will cost you around 55000 peso (US $1150) The somewhat awful photo shows it as you will find it in the shop awaiting final finishing and upholstery which is then chosen by you. The wood on this set is Molave and weighs a ton so forget shipping this set home in your excess baggage, seriously it took two of us to lift it!.
> 
> ...


Some very outstanding work thanks for sharing


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