These great balls are capiz lamp posts installed in front of the municipal hall. Photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com.
In the humble town of Samal, Bataan (around 63.28 km. road distance from Manila) lies the Samal Sea where capiz shells thrive. These raw materials are ingeniously brought to light by Samalenos particularly the town mayor, Mayor Generosa “Gene” dela Fuente. The town’s pride in the abundance of these shells are palpable in the municipal hall where parts like the ceiling and columns shimmer with hundreds of capiz shells.
Capiz-making in Samal only started this year, which makes it a budding cottage industry in Luzon. According to Sam Lazarte, an employee of the municipal hall and who delivers the capiz products to merchants in Manila, it was in January when they last harvested the capiz shells. It usually takes four months or so to harvest another group of shells. Presumably, this May or June will be the right time to yield capiz.
Look up and you will see this beautiful ceiling covered with capiz shells. Photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com.
Capiz shells were patched on the column by the staircase. Photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com.
Crafting various products out of raw capiz material is a long process and requires a lot of effort. The activity is done in a workshop in the mayor’s house. Moises Cabrera, the managing officer of capiz-making in Samal, showed us the fundamental steps.
Capiz shell in its raw form. Photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com.
Capiz raw materials are harvested from the Samal Sea. They are bought for Php450 per kilo.
Capiz shell after the cleaning process. Photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com.
Collected capiz shells are then cleaned using muriatic acid and will undergo heat through an oven. Next, the cooked capiz shells are cooled and dipped in hydrogen peroxide. After dipping, they are then kept in a closed container the whole day.
Pounded shells undergo a sifting process. Photo by Bernard Testa.
Shells are pounded while some are shaped to serve as the glaze of the product.
Local craftsman Dexter Letta applies lamination on a capiz shell decor. Photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com.
Pounded and shaped materials are applied on the pattern. The pre-finished product will be coated using resin for a shiny effect (this is called the lamination process) and paint will be applied to add color and life to the product.
Moises Cabrera presents samples of the finished capiz lampshades. Photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com.
Mayor dela Fuente also explained that the craftsmanship in creating exquisite products like lamps, chandeliers, wind chimes, and bowls to name a few also aims to establish an industry wherein the town will be hopefully recognized in the future as “the capiz capital of the Philippines.”
Layered capiz shells create these charming plates that can be used as decor or to serve food. Photos by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com.
