Marinduque is a heart-shaped island situated 18 kilometers from the main island of Luzon. It lies between Tayabas Bay to the north and Sibuyan Sea to the south. The Island province is located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon.
Hiding in the small Barangay of Poctoy, Municipality of Torrijos is where the best potter residing at. Gabisan Pottery is a home-based pottery shop where the magic of molding vases out mud happened. It is owned by Gabisan Family, a full blooded Marinduqe-nian who starts creating pots, vases and brick works almost decades now.
From Poctoy Beach - where we spent our second night in Marinduque, I and my friends just randomly decided to just saunter at the shoreline heading towards the main road to catch up a public vehicle. It was one hour walk when we were surprised as we spotted this pottery.
“Ito ata yung Gabisan Pottery? Yung nakikita natin sa brochure ng Marinduque Tourism Office.”
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At first, we’re reluctant to go inside as it looks like a private place but we called the attention to whoever was inside the house. Luckily, we met the owner who humbly welcomes us to his shop.
Indeed, he toured us and let experience on how to mold the vases. He also showed us first process up until he finalized the final product. I must admit, it requires a soft hand or the owner’s called it “cotton hand” or else you can’t really create something awesome out of mud. Indeed, it is a talent. I was also amazed of the “Pugon”, where he dried the newly-molded pot and vase. It was old-fashioned yet it shows how much the effort needs just to come up those products.
It was their main source of income – the Pottery. The owner told us that he was able to send his daughters and sons to college out of mud and now currently working as professional. It wasn’t my first time to hear such success story, remember the family in Binangonan, Rizal who was able to send siblings to college because of stone carving. It taught me that, whatever means – as long as you’re dedicated on what you’re doing, you will find success on it; just like Gabisan Pottery, from a simple family business, it became now a Marinduque Tourism recognized must go.
Before we leave the place, we took pictures and bought small pots as souvenir – that will remind us that we’re able to find the gem of Marinduque by accident.