Remolding Clays: The Wedging Industry of Gatbuca’s Pottery
by Kristel Anne Vadal
Shaping an inventive legacy is more than a one-day work.
Gatbuca, hallmarked as the pottery country of Bulacan, was once a thriving potters’ community in Calumpit, recognized as the biggest pot producer in the province.
Their products transcend boundaries reaching neighboring suburbs and supplying several areas in Metro Manila as well as amassing praises for their traditional designs and appeasing operations.
While the town boasts local artisans with exceptional gifts of transforming clays into craft, the industry continuously battles against its nearing finish line.
Casting archives
It is indisputable that Bulacan is home to various natural resources and the very own genesis of acclaimed arts and crafts in the country.
More than the renowned pabalat, puni, and jewelry industry, another hand-crafted product paved its way to the market—pottery.
Barangay Gatbuca in Calumpit, Bulacan is known to significantly contribute to the overall pottery-making in the Philippines. This century-long craft is a heritage from the ancestors who then took advantage of the abundance of clay in the area, turning ordinary soils into stunning masterpieces to make a living.
This art was for them not just a gem to behold but an actual meal ticket to survive recurring financial scarcity.
While pottery became a stronghold of Gatbuca’s economy over the years, it is not exempted from ceasing and shortly witnessed a dramatic decline.
Throwing narratives
From the then prolific trade to only one left operating today, the plunging of the industry is indeed damaging not only to entrepreneurs but to the future of pottery-making itself.
Among the threatened ventures is Mallari Pottery—a pioneering pottery house in Gatbuca operating since 1982. For over four decades and two, Mallari Pottery has surely witnessed the then-booming and now the losing game of the industry.
“Wala nang pagawaan niyan sa susunod,” said Nelson Castro, 43, a decade-long artisan from Mallari Pottery.
Castro’s gift in pottery is a family heirloom passed from their generation. His concern exceeds the dwindling wright numbers for he wordlessly mourns the vanishing culture of the industry he calls home.
“Malamang po hindi na. Wala nang pumapalit sa amin, e. Halos iyong mga bata lumalaki na at ayaw na humawak ng lupa,” he explained.
At a young age, Castro had to quit his education to help his family mold clays and earn enough money for their daily necessity. Decades later, pottery remains his sole resource to feed his wife and his eight children.
On the other hand, Juanito Tañalas, 57, the oldest artisan in Mallari Pottery shared his dismay over people who satirize their work.
“Aba, e, mahirap magpaso. Hindi biro. Mahirap magpaso kaya lang patiyagaan,” he expressed.
Tañalas is in-charge of harvesting and wedging the clays before selection and actual processing, as well as the bisque firing of the products in the final step. His role is one of the toughest steps in pottery making which explains his offense whenever someone uses his craft as an object of ridicule.
Despite his age and struggling body, Tañales subsists physical demands of his work and affirmed that he no longer feels any fatigue and has become resistant to pain.
“Kahit sa edad ko, hindi na nakakapagod eh, walang sakit-sakit. Sanay na rin kasi ako,” he said.
Tañales, has long been separated from his wife and children, and for years, he spent most of his days working in Mallari, casting clay that holds his enduring passion.
Bernie Leon, 46, a ten-year artisan crafting pots in Mallari also underlined his dispiriting encounters with enthusiasts, who are only after the wonders of pottery but easily shrug it off in difficulty.
“May mga tao kasi na halimbawa natutuhan na, wala na. Nahirapan lang, nagsawa lahat sila. Sa una lang sila parang interesado,” he shared.
Similar to Castro, Leon inherited his passion in pottery from his parents and vows to uphold the art for good and all.
Crafting clays
Pottery making might be one of the most romantic crafts in existence. The concept of infusing one’s heart to every clay solidly displays an intricate connection of human nature to the arts.
The long process of pottery making starts with the selection of clay.
Juanito Mallari Sr., 73, the founder of Mallari Pottery emphasized the importance of clay in this field and how the whole work heavily relies on it.
“Kapag hindi maganda iyong clay, hindi pa man natutuyo iyong pot, sira na. Dapat ang mixture niya, tamang-tama lang para doon sa pot na gagawin. Mayroon kasing clay na malabo, mayroong masyadong malagkit, dapat iyong katamtaman lang. Nandoon sa clay ang buhay. Nandoon ang buhay ng pottery,” he clarified.
Once the perfect clay is selected, it will proceed to wedging—a process of kneading the clays to ensure the removal of any air bubbles and even off its consistency. Although this step is the least admired for its physically demanding sort, it remains invaluable in the pottery-making process and a foundation of production quality.
Once wedged, clays will be transferred into the potter's wheel where the actual molding of pots begins. Artisans use varying shapes and sizes in throwing clays before advancing to the next step which they call, the finishing process.
In this step, potters trim the excess clays from the molded pots and once again hand-throw it to get the final desired shape before air drying. Most enthusiasts find this step challenging as you have to be cautious and fast enough to complete the product before it congeals.
Although tedious, air drying is a mandated technique that Mallari Pottery has used over the years. It allows the pots to cure and remove any moisture on their surface before the baking period. Artisans shared how long this process consumes, attesting that a single pot usually takes 3-4 days before it is totally set.
“Ay matagal, mayroon apat na araw bago lutuin. Pinatutuyo siya tapos tsaka isasalang,” Leon said.
Mallari on the other hand, underlined the importance of air drying over the customary sun drying, convinced that it’s a better tactic than the latter.
“Hindi puwedeng sun dry, naku. Hindi p’wede kasi mabibigla ang mga gawa, magca-crack lahat,” he said.
While most clays can be recycled and remold when damaged, it is important to note that once they harden, recycling becomes a literal back-breaking work.
After air drying, clay pots will undertake bisque firing—the final process of firing pots to enhance their durability and become fully functional. Finished products are then taken to Dangwa Flower Market which remains the primary client of Mallari Pottery for over many years.
However, despite the laborious work of crafting these masterpieces, artisans remained underpaid and unquestionably overworked.
Defying odds
In a whole day of work, Mallari Pottery produces 275 to more than 300 pieces of pots. This number varies depending on several factors like the present number of artisans, weather conditions, and supply.
Although potter’s daily earnings suffice their family essentials, the price of their tough grind is clearly unrequited.
“Sa isang linggo halos wala ka ring tulog. Kumikita naman ako ng halos P1,000 kada araw kaya lang patay katawan talaga, minsan di na makagawa kinabukasan," Castro shared.
Each pot of Mallari is sold for P18 to target markets but artisans’ rate heavily relies on their production, only earning as low as P2 per pot.
"E wala, hindi naman makakapagreklamo, ganon talaga ang presyo,” he added.
In an exclusive interview with Pacesetter, artisans said that their schedule starts in the early morning but occasionally stretches from 2 am to almost 2 pm working day.
“Naku, talagang challenge na challenge na kami sa hirap. Hindi na namin maisa-isa kung alin ang mahirap, alin ang madali. Wala na. Kami-kami na lang talaga. Kapag hindi na namin kinaya ito, maaaring sumara na rin ito at wala ng pumapalit sa amin,” Castro expounded.
The threats continuously toughen as the rise of modern competitors makes pottery weaker over time with its alternative plastic pots. But despite the challenges, potters’ hope for the industry to persist is as clear as the day.
“Sana may pumalit pa sa aming magpapaso para no’n [ay] hindi ito mawala. Dahil ito rin ang buhay ng halos lahat,” Castro concluded.
Regardless of the toil and indigent pay, pottery making remains a life support to the residents of Gatbuca. Thus, artisans and advocates alike urge people to support the craft to extend this heritage and withstand its impending conclusion.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/ZiyW7C_XQYQ?si=m6rQRJWe-RHUMhzs
Kristel Anne Vadal is the Features Editor of Pacesetter for A.Y. 2023-2024. She is a fourth-year journalism student from the College of Arts and Letters.
