The Lovely Three

Blog article for Culture of Production during field trip: May 10 and 11, 2012

First stop: Liliw, Laguna

We went to Liliw, Laguna on March 10 after we finished our trip to Calamba. We arrived in a small town with a very serene ambiance with nice houses and a line up of stores. It had been years since I last visited Liliw and I was very excited to re-live my wonderful memories about it. I remember being so happy after we went to Liliw when I was still in high school but I don't particularl remember how or why I was happy so I wanted to find out that day of our field trip exactly what it was with Liliw which made my heart skip a beat.

It was very obvious that the culture of production is Liliw is very important as I saw lined-up rows of stores selling the product which it was most know for - footwear. The Municipality of Liliw is known as the "Land of Footwear". This is their source of living. According to the sales lady which we talked to inside one store, the business runs in the family. She and her little siblings are required to help the family run the store during weekends. She is proud of her part-time job because she carries the name of the company which her parents worked very hard for. She said the the busiest days are Saturdays because that is when the foreigners come to buy their souvenirs. Liliw is very commercialized because of its extreme pride and the intense advertising tactics. 

Although my third visit in Liliw, Laguna wasn't as magical as the first two, I have to say that I still enjoyed everything in it.

Next stop: Luisiana, Laguna

As compared to Liliw, Laguna, the cultural products of Luisiana, is not that big of a deal and is not given that much attention. These products came from a natural resource which is abundant here in Luisiana and it is called the pandan. When we got to Luisiana, it immediately had a very barrio feel to it. I think it is possibly because it is very small and there were only a few people outside. One of the first things I noticed was the small shop near the plaza and the church which was selling native bags, hats, baskets and blankets. I had no idea before that they were made of pandan leaves. The care-taker of the store explained to us that it came from this huge plant with long leaves like a fountain which I remembered seeing as we went to the place. Perhaps the community of Luisiana had other sources of income because having one store in the town projects that it is not given much importance. 

Our visit to Luisiana was short yet very interesting as we heard so many knowledgeable facts from the guest speaker. Next time I visit Luisiana, I'll surely get myself another souvenir. 

Last stop: Lucban, Quezon

Like Liliw, I also had been to Lucban before with my family. I remember the church and our very delicious meal after hearing mass. I remember that days after our visit in Lucban, my brother and I always request for longganisa breakfast because of our Lucban experience.

Lucban is a town of joy! I love the ambiance in Lucban - I feel like it is something in the middle of the high and low class societies. The area was clean and the houses and infrastructure were nice. It was a combination of the old and the new as the designs of the houses were sort of traditional but the stores and decorations of other infrastructures were new such as the 7/11 and Buddy's. The children were enjoying the open area, playing with one another as I see some adults slowly strolling around. 

We bought our souvenirs in Lucban in a small store which were best known for their delicious longganiza. It was located in a street, standing beside all other souvenir stores selling buri hats and other native items. The products here in Lucban are known all over the country however the stores and the town itself do not seem as commercialized as those of Liliw's. However, the difference or advantage of Lucban is that its famous food chain, Buddy's, has branches in the Metro so it is a common taste already for the Metro tongues.

It was a pleasure being able to experience these three wonderful towns in the South! I am also very proud of the three towns because they continue to establish their living through the cultural products that they sell. I will surely come back here someday to update me learning.

Source for Images: Google Images

Editing: (c) Reese Corpuz

♥ Reese Corpuz