The 25th Anniversary of the Burdang Lumban Festival was celebrated with huge success, coinciding with the observance of the town’s 448th Founding Anniversary.
The celebration carried the theme “Burdang Lumban: 25 Years of Art, Tradition, and Inspiration” – an occasion dedicated above all to honoring the skilled artisans whose hands and dedication keep this cherished craft alive, and recognizing the profound historical identity and lasting economic strength their work has built for Lumban.
The program opened with remarks from Vice Mayor Ireneo Baldovino.
“Preserving and nurturing our culture and traditions — especially the art of embroidery — is one of our most important duties.”
“Preserving and nurturing our culture and traditions — especially the art of embroidery — is one of our most important duties,” Baldovino said.
Congressman Benjamin Agarao also delivered a message highlighting Lumban’s distinguished place in the nation’s artistic heritage, noting that embroidery is far more than a livelihood — it is a treasured inheritance passed lovingly from one generation to the next.
All the speakers paid special tribute to the people at the heart of this industry: the embroiderers themselves, whose patience, skill, and devotion have long sustained Lumban’s identity and prosperity. Their craft remains the town’s primary source of livelihood and its proudest mark of distinction.
Governor Sol Aragones, on the other hand, shared her message of support: “Our Provincial Government brings action and real solutions — and part of that mission is to cherish, protect, and develop our rich cultural heritage and tourism resources for all our people.”
This commitment reflects the Provincial Government’s continuing programs to strengthen local culture and creative industries, ensuring they flourish and provide lasting benefit to families and communities across Laguna — particularly those whose lives and livelihoods are woven into this centuries‑old tradition.
A highlight of the day was the unveiling of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription Marker, to be permanently installed at the Rizal Monument in the town plaza.
The artifact — the oldest known written document in the Philippines, discovered in Lumban — stands as testament to the community’s ancient wisdom and artistic legacy, and has long served as inspiration for the care and refinement found in Lumban’s needlework.
Closing the celebration was Mayor Belen Raga.
“This craft of embroidery is not something to be kept hidden — it is a precious gift we must faithfully pass on to every new generation.”
“We gather not only to rejoice — but to remember who we are, to look back at where we came from, and to ask ourselves: What shall we leave to those who come after us? This craft of embroidery is not something to be kept hidden — it is a precious gift we must faithfully pass on to every new generation,” she stressed.
The annual festival stands first and foremost as a heartfelt tribute to the embroiderers of Lumban — the hands, hearts, and heritage behind the town’s renown as the Embroidery Capital of the Philippines. Their contributions are woven deeply into every chapter of local history and form a vital pillar of the community’s economy, sustaining households and bringing honor and recognition to Lumban across the country and beyond.
The Provincial Government under Aragones remains steadfast in its commitment to nurture, protect, and advance this living tradition — ensuring that the skill, dignity, and livelihood of Lumban’s embroiderers continue to flourish and endure for generations to come.
