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Marvin David Sotto is a designer of vestments for sacred images and is heir to the traditional "burdang Orani."

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'Burdang Orani': A man's journey through dreams and 'santo' vestment-making

Erik Tenedero

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1711606427524PHOTO-1-MARVIN.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=" Marvin David Sotto designs and creates vestments for sacred images and is heir to the traditional " burdang="" Photos="" courtesy="" of="" Marvin="" David="" Sotto=""/> Marvin David Sotto designs and creates vestments for sacred images and is heir to the traditional &quot;burdang Orani.&quot; Photos courtesy of <span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Marvin David Sotto </div><div> </div>It all began with a dream.  Almost a decade ago, Marvin David Sotto had an afternoon nap.In his dream, a man was looking for a &quot;santo&quot; vestment-maker. As he stood face-to-face with the man, he was shown an elegant vestment of the Virgin Mary made up of gold threads and studded with sapphires and other precious stones.  When he woke up, he realized it was all but a dream.&quot;Doon ako nung time na &#x27;yun na nagseryoso ako,&quot; said Marvin, who would then begin his life as a Filipino vestment-maker of sacred Catholic images and heir to traditional &quot;burdang Orani.&quot;&quot;Pero nung way back pa basta maliit pa lang ako mahilig na ako magkalikot so parang ito &#x27;yung starting talaga nung 2015.&quot;  (That was when I really took it seriously. Way back when I was a kid, I was already into fixing small things so it was 2015 when I got serious with vestment-making.)For Roger Rodil Tolosa III, Marvin&#x27;s life and business partner, the dream was a sign to get serious with vestment-making.  &quot;So nung sinabi niya sa akin (yung panaginip niya), bakit kasi &#x27;di mo gawing business &#x27;yan kasi very passionate ka diyan sa craft na &#x27;yan,&quot; Roger said.  (When he told me about his dream, I encouraged him to turn it into a business because he was very passionate about his craft.Since then, the 41-year-old vestment-maker has dressed some of the popular religious iconographies in the Philippines. These include canonically crowned images of the Virgin Mary, like Nuestra Señora del Pillar de Morong (Bataan), Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso (Parañaque), Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu (Rizal), and Virgen de los Remedios (Pampanga).  <div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1711606516125PHOTO-2-MARVIN.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Two Marian images wearing vestments that used traditional " burdang="" and="" applique="" design.="" Photos="" courtesy="" of="" Marvin="" David="" Sotto=""/>Two Marian images wearing vestments that used traditional &quot;burdang Orani&quot; and applique design. Photos courtesy of Marvin David Sotto </div><div> </div>Marvin was also able to dress the centuries-old image of Sto. Nino de Pandacan, which unfortunately burned down in a church fire in 2020.  But among the sacred images that he dressed, it was their patron saint, the Virgen Milagrosa in Bataan, that connects him to his ancestors who started the traditional &quot;burdang Orani.&quot;  &quot;Kasi ang story po kasi is around mga 1960’s po may dalawa po kasi dito na lola po namin. Sila Lola Julia Roberto and Lola Loling Casimiro. Sila po ‘yung head po na gumawa, kumbaga sila po ‘yung nag-start po talaga nung traditional Filipino burdang Orani,&quot; Marvin said.  (The story is around 1960s two of our relatives — Lola Julia Roberto and Lola Loling Casimiro — started what is now known as the Orani-style of embroidery.)Unlike the typical &quot;burdado&quot; or &quot;inuod&quot; which often uses gold threads, the &quot;burdang Orani&quot; uses large patches to produce an embossed design on the vestment.Sequins, beads, and bright-colored fabrics are used to add grandeur to the overall look.Marvin said his ancestors, as a form of thanksgiving for life blessings, wanted an offering for Mary. They wanted a set of different vestments for each month.However, they wanted a more economical execution for the vestments to make them more affordable. Hence, they gave birth to the &quot;burdang Orani,&quot; which only needed cheaper materials for equally elegant designs.&quot;Naging creative &#x27;yung mga ancestors natin sa Orani, Bataaan na makagawa sila ng isang design na &#x27;sing ganda ng mga burdado or inuod pero hindi kasing mahal,&quot; Roger explained.  &quot;Ang distinction niya is yung mga patches niya as compared with other designs na talagang gold threads na ginagamit. Material wise pa lang malaki na &#x27;yung difference... It’s really economical in terms of distinction.&quot;(Marvin&#x27;s ancestors in Orani, Bataan got creative in producing designs that were as good as the other more expensive styles of embroidery but cheaper. The distinction is the patches they used while other embroidery styles used gold threads. Material wise it was a huge difference... It&#x27;s more economical.)<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1711606543905PHOTO-3-MARVIN.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A vestment showcasing the traditional " burdang="" Marvin="" created="" the="" vestment="" for="" image="" of="" Virgen="" Milagrosa="" del="" Rosario="" Pueblo="" de="" Orani.="" Photo="" courtesy="" David="" Sotto=""/>A vestment showcasing the traditional &quot;burdang Orani.&quot; Marvin created the vestment for the image of Virgen Milagrosa del Rosario del Pueblo de Orani. Photo courtesy of Marvin David Sotto </div><div> </div>The &quot;burdang Orani&quot; is around two percent machine-embroidered while the rest is delicately made by hand — a tradition that both Marvin and Roger maintain to this day.  &quot;Pinag-aralan po nila, tinignan po nila ‘yung istilo po nung mga burdado, ng mga inuod before po. Tinignan po nila paano po nila mae-execute ‘yun na doon po sa ginawa po nila na burdang Orani,&quot; Marvin said.  (They took time studying the style of the embroidery. They carefully observed how they could execute a design for the Orani style of embroidery.)But as he carries the tradition to the contemporary era, Marvin has sought to add his own artistic elements to the design while maintaining its traditional elegance.  He started putting beads, rhinestones, pearls, and crystal stones to accentuate the patches.  &quot;Nag-aadjust din po kami kung ano po &#x27;yung trending po ngayon... Pinag-aaralan namin kung bagay o hindi,&quot; Marvin said.(We&#x27;re also adjusting based on the current trend. We study what would fit in the design.) <div> </div><div>MAKING THE DREAM HAPPEN </div><div> </div>It is also through dreams that Marvin continues being a vestment-maker.  His designs, he said, are revealed to him through his dreams.  &quot;Parang weird kasi eh. Kumbaga kung ako kasi nakaka-experience parang &#x27;pag kinukwento ko kasi sa kanila, hindi kasi nila naeexperience, &#x27;ang weird mo naman,&#x27;&quot; he said.  (It&#x27;s weird. As the person who experiences it, I am often told that it is weird whenever I share the story to others.)But Marvin said he really sees patterns, lines, and the flow of the design in his dreams. He admitted that he himself could not explain it very well, even confused at this unique creative process.  &quot;Nakikita ako ng mommy ko sasabihin niya &#x27;o wala kang maisip? Sige itulog mo.&#x27; Kasi alam ng mommy ko kapag natulog ako pagkagising ko siguro kahit 30 minutes lang uupo ako tapos dire-diretso na &#x27;yung kamay ko, as in talaga &#x27;yung flow ng ideas,&quot; he said.  (Whenever my mother noticed that I could not think of a design, she would often tell me to just sleep. She knows that after waking up from sleep, in just 30 minutes my hands would automatically carry on a design because the ideas would keep on flowing in my mind.)This often clashes with the business aspect of vestment-making.  Roger, who usually handles the contracts and other logistics of the business, noted how Marvin often veered away from the design agreed upon.  Sometimes, a client would choose a much simpler design so it will be cheaper. But because Marvin often insists on following the patterns he envisions through his dreams, the design would end up more intricate and therefore more expensive to create.  <div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1711606571487PHOTO-4-MARVIN.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Marvin and Roger with the centuries-old image of the Sto. Niño de Pandacan. The highly-revered statue depicting the child Jesus, unfortunately, burned down in a church fire in 2020. Photo courtesy of Marvin David Sotto"/>Marvin and Roger with the centuries-old image of the Sto. Niño de Pandacan. The highly-revered statue depicting the child Jesus, unfortunately, burned down in a church fire in 2020. Photo courtesy of Marvin David Sotto</div><div> </div>&quot;Sinabi ko hindi naman tayo charitable institution so siyempre business naman ‘to. Pero &#x27;yun nga, siya kasi yung nasusunod kasi siya &#x27;yung gumagawa,&quot; Roger said.  &quot;Very generous siya in giving designs. Maski halos palugi na okay lang sa kaniya basta masunod lang kung ano &#x27;yung nakita niya sa panaginip niya, sa vision niya &#x27;yun &#x27;yung ie-execute niya.&quot;  (I told him we are not a charitable institution. This is business. But he often gets to follow what he wants for the design because he&#x27;s the one executing them, anyway. He&#x27;s very generous with his designs. Even to the point that we no longer earn as much, as long as he follows his vision for the design, he will stand his ground and continue.)Marvin and Roger, at most, have two design categories for their works — the standard, which is the simple execution, and the detailed.  After getting the measurement and the look of the image, Marvin would then set a price quotation.  Prices can vary depending on the size and the intricacy of the design. A vestment can range from P12,000 to P40,000 for a two-feet image.  For four-feet images, it can range from P30,000 to even nearly P200,000. The pricey vestments often include detailed embroideries accentuated with precious stones, like swarovski crystals and pearls.  &quot;The more na maliit siya, the more na mas mahirap. The more na mas malaki, materials naman &#x27;yung kakain ng costing doon saka ng labor din,&quot; Roger explained.(The smaller designs are more difficult to execute. The bigger the size of the vestment, the more labor it would cost.) <div> </div><div>ART AND FAITH SIDE-BY-SIDE </div><div> </div>From a kid who gathered scraps of fabrics and turned them into miniature vestments, Marvin now carries the torch of &quot;burdang Orani&quot; to make sure it survives the challenge of time.  The art remains in the family, as he gets help from his mother and nieces and nephews.  &quot;May mga taga dito din na gumagawa kaso hindi na &#x27;yung traditional na &#x27;burdang Orani,&quot; he said. &quot;Ako gusto ko na mag-continue pa ‘to kung baga hanggang tumanda ako may naka-line ng susunod. Tapos may nakikita rin ako na mga pamangkin ko na parang nagkakaroon ng hilig, so parang tinuturuan ko sila pa unti-unti.&quot;  (There are other vestment-makers here in our town but it is no longer the traditional Orani style of embroidery. I want to continue this until I get old and hopefully, someone will continue this style. I noticed that some of my nieces and nephews have an interest in it so slowly I teach them how to do it.)<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1711606598924PHOTO-5-MARVIN.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A set of vestments for a Marian image showing the detailed design of " burdang="" and="" applique.="" Photo="" courtesy="" of="" Marvin="" David=""/> A set of vestments for a Marian image showing the detailed design of &quot;burdang Orani&quot; and applique. Photo courtesy of Marvin David Sotto</div><div> </div>For Roger, he wants to ensure that more people are aware of the &quot;burdang Orani.&quot;&quot;Mapalaganap natin na mayroon tayong sariling style ng vestment-making and we have to be proud kasi this is Filipino-made and this originated from the Philippines and particular in Orani, Bataan,&quot; he said.  (Hopefully we can let more people know about this style of vestment-making because we need to be proud since this is Filipino-made, particularly from Orani, Bataan.)But more than the art of traditional embroidery, both Marvin and Roger believe that are convinced their foray to vestment-making is a calling from God.  As the design of &quot;burdang Orani&quot; grows in their steering, so does their faith.  &quot;Before kasi hindi ako maalam sa mga history ng santo. Yes, kilala ko Saint Joseph, Mama Mary pero once may mga kliyente ako like mga apostoles, o like iba-ibang santo at santa, so parang doon ako nag-start,&quot; Marvin said.  &quot;Gusto ko malaman kasi part siya dapat ng pag-aralan — &#x27;yung story and then &#x27;yung way kasi &#x27;yung buhay niya.&quot;  (Before, I was not very knowledgeable about the history of saints. Yes, I knew <span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Saint Joseph and Mama Mary but when my clients started commissioning vestments for the apostles and various saints, that&#x27;s when I started studying their stories. I wanted to know them — their stories and their lives.)Enriching their knowledge about the lives of the saints also helped them extend the catechism to clients who did not know enough about what their images represented, according to Roger.  &quot;May mga clients kami na wala talaga silang full knowledge about &#x27;yung sa holy image that they have. So when they consulted us nalaman nila na &#x27;ah kaya pala ganiyan &#x27;yung color kasi ito yung representation nito, ah kaya pala ganiyan &#x27;yung hawak nitong santo na to, may hawak hawak siyang ganiyang bagay it is because ito &#x27;yung story behind nito,&quot; he said.  &quot;So in a way we are grateful na nagiging way din kami to deepen their knowledge and their faith.&quot;  (We have clients who didn&#x27;t have full knowledge of the story behind their holy image. So when they consulted us, they learned why a particular color is associated with the saint and what it represents, including the things that a saint is holding. All these are part of the story of a particular saint.)Aware that his creations can inspire prayer and devotion, Marvin is determined to continue steadfast in his faith and his art.  &quot;&#x27;Yung mismong damit na nakasuot kasi parang representation lang &#x27;yun ng mga makalangit na ganda,&quot; Marvin said.  &quot;&#x27;Sinasabi ng lolo&#x27;t lola, parang hinawakan mo na rin &#x27;yung parte ng langit. &#x27;Yung nahawakan mo &#x27;yung bagay na alam mong wala dito pero physically, ayun, nata-touch mo. Kung baga, humahawak ka, nagdadasal ka... Iba kasi &#x27;yung tumitingin talaga like &#x27;yung mga totoong naniniwala, nanghihingi ng blessings, ng guidance. Napakamakalangit talaga &#x27;to.&quot;(The vestment of a sacred image is but a mere representation of the heavenly beauty. My grandmother and grandfather said it&#x27;s like you&#x27;re touching a part of heaven. You know that what you are touching is not here physically and yet you are still able to feel it. You touch it and you pray... It&#x27;s good when people really look into it and they start believing, asking for blessings and guidance. It was truly heavenly.&quot;

Marvin David Sotto is a designer of vestments for sacred images and is heir to the traditional "burdang Orani."