Filtered by: Lifestyle
Lifestyle

PHOTO GALLERY: Ang panday: A day’s work for a blacksmith


Juancho 'Flavio' Lorida holds up a newly forged itak.
 
Juancho Lorida, 47, is known as "Flavio" in his hometown of Majayjay, Laguna, after the title character in the FPJ classic "Ang Panday." He is the only blacksmith in town.

He started out at a young age as his father's apprentice, helping eke out a living by making and selling metal tools.

Hard times allowed him only a high school education, which he was not able to finish. At the age of 25, his father died, and the apprentice had to become the master. Juancho eventually married, and he and his wife Gemma have two children, Alex and Kathleen.

Gemma helps him out by delivering the finished tools to clients and purchasing the charcoal to fuel the furnace.

Kathleen is currently taking up civil engineering. Alex, now 21, also used to go to college, but had to stop because their finances can only support one student. The family has to make do with Lorida's daily income of P500.

After more than 20 years in the job, and now a master himself, Flavio is training Alex as his apprentice. Just like his father did in the old days, he teaches the skill of forging metal into different tools of the trade to his boy, a third-generation blacksmith.

 
 
 
 
 
 

— BM, GMA News
LOADING CONTENT