Purveyor of Knowledge and Emerging Publisher of Content and Visually Driven Books

October 18, 2025

THE PASTILLAS PAPER CUT TRADITION

THE PASTILLAS PAPER CUT TRADITION
by: Sherwin Mapanoo

The art of making the pabalat or pastillas wrappers has transformed in recent years from being a local, folk tradition into a popular art. Besides adding flair to the sweet pastillas de leche made from fresh carabao’s milk, the pabalat has also become a compelling icon/symbol of the people’s creativity, not only of the town of San Miguel but the entire province of Bulacan.

Bulacan fiestas are not complete without the elaborate papercut designs often used as decoration, table centerpiece, and souvenirs. The pastillas wrapped in pabalat have also become popular gifts during birthdays, weddings, and other occasions and pasalubong among local tourists and balikbayans.

On May 5-7, 2006, the town of San Miguel celebrated the first-ever “Pastillas Festival” to underscore the importance of the pastillas in the lives of its people. According to Mayor Edmundo Jose Buencamino, “the pastillas have been a source of pride and a unifying symbol for the people here. We give pastillas as a gift to our families, loved ones even during birthdays, weddings and other occasions. This is the secret of the industry: It has survived time because not only visitors but even the locals patronize it.”1 The mounting of such a festival was envisioned to give the sleepy town a much-needed boost in tourism and investment.

The industry of pastillas making may have survived time but the pabalat is a totally different story. Similar to most folk traditions in the Philippines, the art practice of making these intricate paper cut-outs is on the verge of extinction. Due to the tediousness of the art, there are few takers who are willing to follow the footsteps of the pabalat masters like Ka Luz “Aling Nene” Ocampo. At present, most of the pabalat makers in San Miguel are senior citizens in their 70s or 80s, while others have transferred to Malolos, Bulacan, the province capital, to put up “more” lucrative pastillas and other sweets businesses, which now attract a number of clientele ranging from balikbayans, local and foreign tourists to hotels and catering companies.

The word pabalat has two levels of meaning. On a literal note, it pertains to the pabalat as a product (paper cut-outs). On a metaphorical level, it connotes the “state of the art” practice (meaning: it’s not only a “wounded” tradition but it’s actually a “dying” one). The art is not only a cultural product or an artistic expression but also cuts through some cultural, social, even political discourses and issues.

Pabalat is also a folk art or in Filipino term, “siningbayan.” It is a folk art because it originated among the townsfolk reflecting their traditional culture. The art practice has also been passed from generation to generation and its’ creative elements and aesthetic values mirror the people’s everyday life. Another important aspect of this folk tradition is that the makers of these intricate paper patterns do not see themselves as “artists” and do not consider their works as “arts.” Taking a quote from Dr. Brenda Fajardo in her book Ang Inukit na Kaalamang Bayan ng Paete:

“Ang siningbayan ay mga nilikhang bagay na karaniwan at nakararaming tao sa lipunan. Ito ay gawa ng katutubo ng karaniwang binubuo ng mga sinaunang malikhaing gawa na nakagisnan at naipasa sa salinlahi o ‘di kaya’y makabagong paggawa na nilikha ng masa at sumasagot sa pangangailangan sa araw-araw.”2

This definition is very true to the aesthetic function and mode of production of the pabalat.

REFERENCES

[1] Barawid, Rachel C. “San Miguel: Pastillas Country.” Manila Bulletin. Tourism. May 06, 2006.
[2] Fajardo, Brenda. Ang Inukit na Kaalamang Bayan ng Paete. Manila : Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining, 2005.
[3] Lett, James. “Emic/Etic Distinctions.”
http://faculty.ircc.edu/faculty/jlett/Article%20on%20Emics%20and%20Etics.htm

A Critical Essay on Constructing the Filipina: A History of Women’s Magazines (1891-2002)
April 2013--Constructing the Filipina: A History of Women’s Magazines from 1891-2002 by Georgina Reyes Encanto is a first attempt to record the history of Women’s magazines in the historical-feminist...
lee mas...
How to turn a manuscript into a bestseller
How to turn a manuscript into a bestseller
November 2012--Editors today generally spend less time in editing because time is money. This is the observation that novelist Ken Spillman gave at a panel discussion on "Uncut: Issues in Editing" at the...
lee mas...
European Artists at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery
European Artists at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery
April-May 2018--The Pere Lachaise Cemetery in the 20th arrondissement in Paris, France was opened on May 21, 1804 and was named after Père François de la Chaise (1624-1709), the confessor...
lee mas...
Vermeer's Woman in Blue regains its hues
Vermeer's Woman in Blue regains its hues
Visitors to the Rijksmuseum will soon be able to see Vermeer’s newly restored Woman in Blue Reading a Letter, 1663-64, when it returns home following a Japanese tour which funded the work’s...
lee mas...
Mexico trove of 1,200 Frida Kahlo Works All Forged: Experts
Mexico trove of 1,200 Frida Kahlo Works All Forged: Experts
MEXICO CITY -- Experts said Thursday that a trove of 1,200 art works displayed at prominent Mexican gallery as the work of famed artist Frida Kahlo are forgeries. The works, owned by the art dealer...
lee mas...
THE PASTILLAS PAPER CUT TRADITION
The art of making the pabalat or pastillas wrappers has transformed in recent years from being a local, folk tradition into a popular art. Besides adding flair to the sweet pastillas de leche made from...
lee mas...
An Exhibition of the Design Legacy of Salvacion Lim Higgins
An Exhibition of the Design Legacy of Salvacion Lim Higgins
September 2022 – The fashion exhibition of Salvacion Lim Higgins hogged the headline once again when a part of her body of work was presented to the general public. The display is chic, refreshing,...
lee mas...
Ambrocio Mijares Morales (1892-1974): Engraver, sculptor, art professor and supporter of the Katipunan
Ambrocio Mijares Morales (1892-1974): Engraver, sculptor, art professor and supporter of the Katipunan
May 2014--Engraver, sculptor, art professor and supporter of the secret organization, the Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK), Ambrocio Morales’s earliest recorded...
lee mas...
Rubens masterpiece "made for public" Artist chose "cheap and cheerful" wood
Rubens masterpiece "made for public" Artist chose "cheap and cheerful" wood
January 2012--The restoration of a painting by Rubens from London’s Courtauld Gallery has revealed that the work was probably not a commission, but created for the speculative market. Cain Slaying...
lee mas...
Intricate, Beautiful, Raunchy: Japan Embraces Its Ancient Erotic Print Tradition
Intricate, Beautiful, Raunchy: Japan Embraces Its Ancient Erotic Print Tradition
October 2015-- Ukiyo-e, the popular color woodblock prints of Japan, are globally recognized and renowned, but their raunchier examples tend to see less light, rarely going on public display. Known as...
lee mas...