GUAGUA — This town will hold its Dukit Festival 2024 on Friday December 27.
The event will feature Street Dance and Free Interpretative Competitions in celebration of its wood carving tradition and Betis district’s patron, Saint James the Apostle.
The festival aims to promote the woodcarving industry among the younger generation and position Guagua as a tourism destination through dance and choreography.
This year’s celebration carries the theme This year’s celebration carries the theme “Milabas balikdan, paintungul dukitan.”
The festival will highlight the current status of the wood carving industry in Guagua, which has been facing numerous challenges in recent years.
Willy Layug, a renowned woodcarver and Presidential Merit Awardee for Ecclesiastical Art said that woodcarving has become a major industry in Guagua, generating millions annually.
But Layug lamented that few younger people are entering the trade.
He added that there is less emphasis on the continuing education of woodcarvers as artists rather than mere craftsmen.
Guagua’s Betis District is known for its wood carving industry, which has evolved from furniture to religious and installation art.
Each year, the town hosts live wood carving competitions as part of its efforts to promote the industry and inspire the next generation to preserve this rich cultural heritage.
