Likhang Kamay III exhibit opens to the public

The Provincial Tourism and Culture Office (PTCO) opened the Likhang Kamay III exhibit to the public in time for the opening of the Arts Month celebration 2022, with the theme “Sining ng Pag-asa” at the Art Gallery, People’s Museum and Library last February 7, 2022.

This year’s theme highlights the resiliency of Filipino artists and the way they responded to the effects of the pandemic and typhoons that recently struck the country showcased in different arts and forms.

According to the PTCO, the Likhang Kamay series is a part of the Provincial Arts month celebration in recognition and in honor of the artisans and their crafts and works.

Likhang Kamay part three is entitled Sisidlan, it features pottery and pasiking (knapbasket), an indigenous basket-backpack made of bamboo and rattan popular among ethnolinguistic groups in Northern Luzon.

In the Philippine culture, pots were used to store water while pasiking were primarily used by hunters to carry equipment and supplies. Both are important icons in our culture as Filipinos and we continue to use them in our day to day lives.

Featured during the exhibit are Antonio Dumlao Sr., a 72 year skilled pasiking and soft broom maker from Barangay Bantinan, Sta. Fe, and Servelita Mortela, a 68 year old expert in manual pottery from Barangay Comon, Aritao.

Both artists learned and mastered their crafts at a very young age, which eventually became their main source of livelihood.

“During this pandemic, when people were into planting, there was a huge demand for vases and pots which helped us in our daily needs,” said Mortela when asked about how are they surviving the effects of the pandemic.

Today, these artisans are also teaching the children in their neighborhood these skills.

 “We are hoping the children today will also pass this art to the future generation,” said Dumlao Sr., in his interview.