A new study by the Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) has identified two wood species—yemane and paraiso—as trees ideal for wood carving. This is great news for the country’s wood carving industry, which has been experiencing shortages in its raw material supply.
For centuries, sculptors in the town of Paete, Laguna have produced remarkable artworks, and until recently, have successfully passed on their skills to younger generations. All these years, many of the craftsmen have relied heavily on batikuling (Litsea leytensis Merr.), their favorite raw material.
Batikuling wood is known for its right mix of hardness and softness, and how it easily resists insect and fungal attacks. Due to overuse, however, the tree’s supply has shrunk dramatically in recent decades, putting it on the government’s threatened species list.
“To help address the problem, we studied other trees which could serve as substitute material,” said DOST-FPRDI’s Armando V. Gillado Jr.
“We found that yemane (Gmelina arborea Roxb. ex Sm.) and paraiso (Melia azedarach L.) are ideal alternatives since their wood properties are similar to those of batikuling.”
After looking into the wood’s physical and strength properties and acceptability to members of the Paete Artists Guild, Gillado and his team found that yemane is easy to carve and finish, insect and fungi-resistant, and has the right hardness. It even scores higher than batikuling in texture and color. On the other hand, aside from the required wood qualities, paraiso has good grain direction and smell and is easy to dry.
Yemane is a fast-growing tree widely planted in industrial plantations all over the country. Paraiso, on the other hand, is a lesser-known tree commonly grown in private plantations in Quezon province.
“It is important to support the country’s wood carvers,” said Gillado, “because we foresee much growth in their sector. In a world drowning in mass-produced consumer goods, there is a special place for products of the so-called creative industries, for things painstakingly made by hand using individual talent and skill.”
The study was conducted as part of DOST-FPRDI’s Gubat Obra: Forest-Based Creative Products S&T Program. (Story and photos courtesy of DOST-FPRDI).