Tags: Furniture
By Alexander Villafania
PEÑABLANCA, CAGAYAN – Paulino Arao found something in the forests of Sierra Madre that he knew can be something of value – driftwood, dead trunks and branches of very old trees. Instead of becoming firewood, he is turning these into decorative fixtures for homes, offices, and gardens.
Many of the driftwood art that Arao does are used as decorative vases, flower pots, mini waterfalls, and other types of displays. Often, he adds light bulbs with ambient lighting in the interior of the driftwood, essentially turning them into lamps.
Arao, a resident of Peñablanca, Cagayan, has only recently started his business of selling art deco driftwood about a year ago, though he has been making strides, especially among foreigners who find his works very exotic.
He also sells to some home owners and office executives who use his products as centerpieces, which could quickly become conversation pieces because of its uniqueness (read: strange). In fact, none of his works are of the same design; he creates designs based on how they’re taken from the forest.
Arao said that the Aetas that were living around the Sierra Madre forests were actually using the driftwood for firewood, instead of them having to cut down trees. Many of these are found floating near bodies of waters such as lakes and rivers. Sometimes, strong rains and flooding bring out the much older driftwood from beneath the water and soil.
“It gave me and idea that these could become unique decorative products. So I moved back to Cagayan from my job in Mandaluyong City to start the business,” Arao said.
While most people would scoff at the idea of using driftwood for art due to the perception that these are decaying material, he explains that the ones he collects are actually becoming fossilized, having been weathered through the years and surviving various elements.
As such, Arao said that most of his products are actually as they are, without chemical curing. Most of the wood are made of the very hard narra tree (rosewood), whose barks are sinewy.
“They’re very old and have survived water, sun and air. They’re actually turning into rock. Of course, they can be damaged physically but overtime, these objects might outlast other decors,” Arao said.
The products he sells are actually quite pricey, sometimes going as high as 7,000 pesos for some of the larger pieces. However, he explained that the acquisition of the wood is very difficult, even perilous. He and his team trek into the forest to find the driftwood and carry them back out of the forest.
Some of the forested parts of Sierra Madre Mountain, which are natural watersheds, are protected under the government’s Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape (PPLS) project, which prohibits the cutting of trees.
Arao said he only picks up wood that have fallen off the trees instead of cutting down any live ones. This way, not only is he helping the cause of the PPLS, he is also turning an otherwise useless forest waste into a real business.
P.M. Arao Gardens & Craft is located in Maharlika Highway, Camasi, Peñablanca, Cagayan. He can be contacted via mobile +639068363541 or via email at dticagayan@yahoo.com
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