Lupero Makers

What do you see? Most people will say a bamboo container, rattan or a native product. What I see is the heart and soul of people who made this. This is actually a "lupero," it's a woven bamboo basket container that can be used for various storage. The Philippines is a country rich with natural resources. Yes, bamboos are abundant here and different other flora. 

I was actually asked by my Mother to buy one of these. On my way home, I decided to walk to Molo Terminal. I usually see this product there. A few meters from my work placed I encountered an old man carrying it at around 6:30am. Lucky me, I bought one thinking I'll be saving time and effort in trying to look for it. I bought it for php 250. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of native products. I was even called Miss Native because of my fondness of it. What I really want to share is the story of the lupero makers. Makers of these are from Valderrama, Antique miles away from Iloilo City. They would travel early in the morning to Iloilo City carrying various native products from duyan (bamboo hammock), small stands and luperos in different sizes. From Molo Terminal they would walk going to Jaro or any other places their feet would take them. They have to sell everything before they could return home to their families. They travel alone, some in pairs (father-son) while others with there children. With the advancement of technology and discovery of new things, most often people forget the basic stuff. The native products we see everyday is a treasure in itself. This native creations were made by hands, manually. Passed on from one generation to the other. It's a part of the culture and history of these people. So every time I see one, I'm reminder of these people who invested their heart and soul in making one.