Vigan tiles, artistic pottery from Bulacan

DOÑA REMEDIOS TRINIDAD, Bulacan – After attracting the agriculture community with the sweetest mangoes, Cordillera vegetables, and coffee, this mountainous town in the province of Bulacan is poised to start another industry that would make waves in the market — its own version of Vigan tiles, artistic pottery and ceramic products.

Mayor Evelyn Paulino said the town has 50 graduates of pottery and ceramic making from a training course conducted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

"Those 50 graduates were out-of school youths that were trained by TESDA as part of our joint live-lihood program. They will be given a starting capital so they could buy a potter’s wheel and other equipment," Paulino said.

She said the town is an ideal place for such an industry because DRT is the source of clay for Mariwasa ceramic products. "An expert from Japan remarked that our clay has a consistency similar to cake mix, making it flexible and easy to form," she added.

Furthermore, the clay in their town has a beautiful and natural earth tone that makes it attractive. "If you make a tile or a brick, it will have a natural classic color," she said.

The newest industry in the province would be more of an art. "We are planning to create our own designs that are different from the ordinary ones that are available in the market," the mayor said.

"We did our best to push through with the project para naman hindi kami laging source na lang ng mga tile and ceramic companies. Dapat ’iyong mga taong nakatira sa lugar ng natural resources, sila ang direktang makinabang dito," she told The STAR.

The clay in their town is only one of the resources that remain largely untapped. "Maraming mga resources ang bayan ng DRT na hindi pa nabibigyan ng atensiyon ng pamahalaan. If this would be recognized and developed, one third of Bulacan would be recognized and developed at the same time," said Paulino.

She is optimistic that once the project becomes operational, it would be part of the province’s art and culture tourism. "In Rome, there is this place that tourists go where they could make their own piece of pottery. It makes the tourists have something to cherish."