Wood and thread: the living crafts of Paete and Pakil in Laguna

About ninety kilometres southeast of Manila, two small towns hugging the eastern shore of Laguna de Bay keep centuries-old craft traditions alive. Paete fills its narrow streets with the sound of chisels tapping hardwood, while Pakil is famous for the soft hum of sewing machines and the painstaking pull of needle and thread. Travellers arriving from Australia will find the journey comparable to a weekend run from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast, with the bonus of stepping into workshops where every chisel mark or stitched motif is shaped by hand.

Both towns sit within easy reach of the capital, which makes them ideal for a slow day trip or an overnight escape. Local families have passed carving knives and embroidery hoops down through generations, and the work they produce — from santos (religious figures) to bridal gowns and barong tagalog shirts — fills church altars, boutiques in Makati, and export containers bound for overseas buyers. For visitors with a taste for handmade goods and rural Philippine life, Paete and Pakil offer something most modern shopping centres can no longer provide.

Reaching Paete and Pakil from Manila

The fastest way to reach both towns from Metro Manila is by private car or a hired van via the South Luzon Expressway, exiting at Calamba and following the National Highway through Los Baños, Bay, and Victoria. The drive usually takes between two and a half to three hours, depending on truck traffic and weather around the lake. Travellers used to Sydney's M1 or Melbourne's West Gate will recognise the rhythm of long-haul highway driving, with the added novelty of tricycles, jeepneys, and water buffalo sharing the road shoulders.

For budget-conscious backpackers, the public transport experience is part of the cultural immersion. Buses leave Cubao or Pasay for Siniloan, Paete, or Pakil throughout the day, and from the bus drop-off point a tricycle can deliver visitors directly to a workshop. Anyone hoping to sample the more local form of transport will appreciate reading a practical jeepney guide before stepping aboard for the first time — knowing the hand signals and fare system turns a confusing ride into a highlight of the trip.

Coming from Australia, most travellers fly into Ninoy Aquino International Airport on direct services from Sydney or Melbourne, often with a stopover in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Bringing some Philippine pesos in small denominations is wise, as tricycle drivers and small carinderias in these towns rarely have change for large notes, and home-share hosts in Pakil sometimes prefer cash for homestay fees.

The woodcarving heritage of Paete

Paete has been called the carving capital of the Philippines since the Spanish colonial era, and a walk through the town centre makes it obvious why. Almost every second doorway opens onto a workshop where craftsmen shape molave, narra, acacia, or jackfruit wood into expressive figures. The signature piece is the tarsier, that wide-eyed primate native to the nearby island of Bohol, though religious icons, nativity scenes, life-sized saints, and abstract sculptures also line the shelves. Visitors can watch a single figure emerge over days, from rough blank to polished heirloom, with only a set of gouges, mallets, and patient hands.

Workshops worth dropping into include those run by families who have been carving for three or four generations. Some studios welcome drop-in visitors; others prefer a quick courtesy call ahead. Buyers should compare prices between at least two or three shops before committing — the same tarsier in a slightly smaller size can vary by several hundred pesos depending on the carving school. For Australians used to bargaining at weekend markets such as The Rocks in Sydney or Camberwell in Melbourne, the polite haggling culture here will feel familiar.

Beyond carving, Paete also hosts small bakeries, a hilltop chapel with sweeping views of Laguna de Bay, and the century-old St. James the Apostle Church, which itself showcases impressive woodwork. Many travellers pair a morning of workshop hopping with a late merienda of hopia or pandesal on the church plaza before catching the afternoon jeepney back toward the capital.

Carvings worth searching out in Paete include:

• Tarsier figurines carved from jackfruit or acacia wood, ranging from keychain size to life-size pieces
• Santos of San José, the town's patron saint, often paired with the Holy Family for home altars
• Nativity sets, from small tabletop pieces to processional carvings commissioned by parish churches
• Custom pieces ordered directly from a master carver, which typically take several weeks to complete

The embroidery tradition of Pakil

A short tricycle ride north of Paete, the town of Pakil is the beating heart of the Philippines' hand-embroidery industry. The craft, known locally as burdang Pakil, traces its origins to the 17th century, when Spanish nuns taught local women delicate drawn-thread work, or callado, to decorate church linens and important garments. Today the tradition feeds both domestic boutiques and export markets, with the finest pieces ending up as bridal gowns, barong tagalog shirts, table runners, and altar cloths.

Most embroidery is still done by hand in family homes scattered through the town's residential streets. Visitors who knock politely will often be invited into a sala (living room) where women sit in a circle around a wooden frame, the cloth stretched tight while needles flash in and out creating the sheer, web-like patterns that give callado its name. An experienced embroiderer can spend forty hours on a single collar. For Australians accustomed to fast fashion and weekend hauls to Chadstone or Westfield, this slower pace offers a meaningful contrast.

Pakil's other landmark is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Turumba, a simple but beloved church where pilgrims gather each May for the colourful Turumba Festival. Dancing devotees in bright tribal dress accompany the image of the Virgin through the streets, while bands play everything from OPM ballads to brass-band interpretations of well-loved classics. Travellers interested in the broader live music scene across the country will enjoy browsing Philippine live music venues when planning evening stops back in Manila or Cebu.

Pieces worth considering as keepsakes or gifts:

• A hand-embroidered barong tagalog for weddings or special occasions back home in Brisbane
• Table runners and napkins in piña or piña-silk blend, finished with delicate openwork
• Framed embroidery panels featuring local motifs such as pineapple or floral sprays
• Bridal handkerchiefs with fine callado, ideal for vintage-style weddings in Adelaide or Perth

Festivals, food, and lakeside atmosphere

Each town hosts an annual festival that doubles as the year's busiest craft market. Paete celebrates the Tarsier Festival every February with street dancing, fluvial parades on Laguna de Bay, and a giant showcase of new carvings along the town plaza. Pakil's Turumba, by contrast, stretches across several dates between April and July, with seven re-enactments of the Virgin Mary's joyful journey, each accompanied by folk dancing, drums, and processions.

Food in both towns revolves around freshwater fish from the lake, including tilapia, bangus, and hito (catfish), usually grilled or simmered in sinigang. Small eateries serve steaming bowls of bulalo (beef shank soup) on rainy afternoons, while carinderias along the highway dish up budget-friendly combinations of rice, grilled meat, and atchara. Travellers who miss a proper Aussie flat white can ask for a kapeng barako brewed strong and served black — it has the same punch as a double shot from a Melbourne laneway café.

The lake itself shapes the rhythm of life in both towns. At sunrise, fishermen push off in wooden bancas, their nets silhouetted against the misty water, and by late afternoon families gather on the seawall to cool off and watch the sun sink behind Mount Makiling. Visitors with an extra night can book a homestay or a small lakeside resort, often run by families who also produce craft pieces for sale — a chance to see how carvers and embroiderers actually live and work between commissions.

Planning a day trip or weekend stay

For Australians fitting the visit into a longer Philippine holiday, a single long day is enough to walk the workshops of Paete and Pakil, eat lunch by the lake, and return to Manila before dark. Those with more time, however, should consider an overnight stay to catch the cooler morning light and a sunset over Laguna de Bay.

Worth bringing home (apart from the obvious craft purchases) are lightweight woven bags, locally pressed coconut oil, and small packets of native ground coffee. Most workshops ship larger pieces, but buyers should agree on crating and freight costs before paying. Currency exchange is best done in Manila before travelling south, as the towns have limited ATMs and even fewer places that change Australian dollars on the spot.

When to go: the dry season between December and May is most comfortable, while the months of February and May overlap with the major festivals. Getting around once there is best done on foot or by tricycle, since both towns are compact and parking is tight. With a little planning, a visit to these two craft villages feels less like a tourist stop and more like being welcomed into a workshop where every chisel stroke and pulled thread tells a story several hundred years old.