`
HE gained prominence as a “national folk artist” simply because of his exceptional skill and work in making Burnay, the unglazed earthen jar which has long been a pride of Ilocos Sur as a traditional art and craft.
But at 84, Fidel Antiporda Go has been bedridden suffering from cancer since late last year, and he fears that once he passes away it could mean an end to Burnay making in Vigan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ilocos Sur Governor Jerry Singson conceded that there are now only two of five families involved in Burnay pottery production. He has asked their elders to transfer the tradition to the young generation of artisans.
“The problem is that I’m the only one among the old artists living,” said Go, while lying in bed inside their ancestral home, which also housed his potter’s wheel and “dragon” kiln, which he used for firing pottery.
According to Go, it was his Chinese father who introduced Burnay making in Vigan, after joining a batch of Chinese artisans that migrated to the country 1922. While pottery has been a traditional craft in the region, Burnay had its unique feature, and was only commonly made by Chinese artisans who brought them to Vigan, a major trading port since the pre-colonial days.
His father Hong Tai, who already had a Burnay pottery business in China, along with other Chinese migrants, finally introduced pottery making using the kiln for burning—or baking—the molded clay jar.
In 1990, Go was recognized by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts as National Folk Artist.
Once he recuperates from his ailment, Go is determined to heed the governor’s request to train those interested in Burnay pottery making. “Apart from your skilled hands, the process is tedious. Yit has its own unique thickness,’ he said. The Burnay’s dark brown color was a result of the high firing, making it “tough as stone,” compared to the terracotta clay pottery’s “open fire” process.
According to him, the actual production of Burnay has stopped. They have been merely using their helpers to mold the clay on the potter’s wheel for demonstration purposes to visiting tourists, he said.
But the dwindling number of Burnay craftsmen was not the only factor to be blamed. While the natural clay needed for it is found everywhere, the wood used for burning has become difficult to source due the current nationwide total ban on logging.
Indeed, as happens in many places where past and present meet, local folk must balance their realities and requirements.
Input your search keywords and press Enter.
