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Rizal in Paete
(by Eric Baet)


On the southern shores of the legendary Laguna de Bai, surrounded by the green foothills of the Sierra Madre, is the town known for its colorful traditions and for the skill of its woodcarvers. If one passes by the main plaza, one will hardly notice, behind a covered stage, a monument made up of a cement base topped by the statues of Mabini, Bonifacio, and Rizal. Though these statues’ coat of paint had faded and though they are covered in dust and surrounded in garbage, they are intimately linked with the town’s rich history.

It is known that the statues were set up in 1903 to honor the three heroes of the Revolution of 1896. The Paete monument is among the earliest monuments to Rizal and other Filipino heroes. The earliest known monument to Rizal, the one erected in Daet in 1898, only predates it by five years.

Dominador Castañeda, the art historian, notes that the Paete sculptors who created the figures were Mariano Madriñan and Jose Caancan. Interestingly, in a recent discovered parish commemorative program, the following were cited as the makers of the monument: Melencio Balan, Gregorio Pagalanan, Candido Caday, Pedro Caguin, Juan Caguin, and Jose Caancan. Absent from this list is the name of Madriñan. It is possible that Castañeda was mistaken in including Madriñan? In deciding this matter more research has to be undertaken. It should be considered, however, that the writers of a local fiesta program would have had to be very careful not to forget anyone in their list since someone in the town could have easily taken offense. In this light, one would have to weigh very carefully the absence of Madriñan’s name. Why would the fiesta program writers omit the name of so famous a town figure as Madriñan?

Data shows that Maestro Madriñan, born in 1882, was one of the illustrious sons of Paete. He received a prestigious award from the King of Spain, Alfonso XII, during the International Exposition at Amsterdam. This was for his statue of the Mater Dolorosa which is now safeguarded by the Quesada family. Castañeda reports that Madriñan was responsible for the Rizal statue in the Paete plaza.

Castañeda further reports that Jose Caancan molded the figure of Mabini from Portland cement even though he did not have any experience on the medium before. Interestingly, Caancan is known to have been a student of Jose Rizal himself. Having heard that the hero had been exiled to Dapitan, the young Caancan ran off to Mindanao to apprentice with Rizal. Rizal is supposed to have taught him carving as well as other subjects.

In a way then, the monument in Paete represents a real connection between the town and the national hero. The monument is a witness to the passing of time, to crisis, and to progress, to calamities, and to other important human movements. This monument was set up not only to honor heroes but also as an important vessel of heritage to be inherited by future generations.

All over Laguna, all over the country, the statues of Rizal at plaza centers, in front of school buildings have many stories to tell. Who commissioned them? Who made them? Why were they made? Many questions await their answers. Many stories await retelling.












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