The santeros of Macabebe

Walk into a church fiesta almost anywhere in Luzon and there is a chance the saint on the carroza came from Macabebe. The town's santeros, the makers of religious statues, have turned a devotion into one of its main livelihoods.

A craft of many hands

According to the municipal tourism office, statue-making in Macabebe began in the early 1950s, when residents carved images as a personal act of faith. Some families started selling their work, travelling around the country with their statues.

What makes Macabebe's santos distinctive is how many craftsmen touch each one. Bodies are made of wood, ivory, cement or fiberglass. Specialists then make the fine hair and the eyelashes, traditionally from dog's fur, paint and coat the face and hands, and embroider the clothes. Families in barangays such as San Gabriel, Santo Rosario, San Roque and Santa Maria work in the trade.

A festival for the craft

In January 2018 the town launched the Santero Festival. Senior high school students turn each step of statue-making into dance moves, from carving to hair-making to painting, and finish in the pose of a saint such as the Santo Niño, San Nicolas or the Virgin Mary. A Kapampangan artist was commissioned to compose the music.

The dance is now part of Macabebe Day, alongside the La Jota Cabea folk dance.