DAVAO CITY — “Bonsai is Life”
This how Asia’s multi-awarded Bonsai master Marcel “Bebot A. Calungsod described his life.
His journey to Bonsai world started when his family went to Japan for a vacation “I started to appreciate Bonsai at the age of 14,” says Calungsod and until now it remains his world.
“I was young but at a glance I was dragged , fascinated and later started to embrace Bonsai as part of my life, which my parents supported and until it became my life, awards came later but the love for my work has been a life to me,” says Calungsod.
The multi-awarded Bonsai Master who is based in Midsayap, North Cotabato is the 12th generation of Filipino Saint Pedro Calungsod but he remains humble even if his masterpieces are among the much look after bonsai in Mindanao and in some parts of Asia.
For one to star Bonsai, Calungsod emphasized three mayor requirements namely: Space, Money and Time but the biggest demand is love, “You must love every work you are doing and it is very important.”
How to make a beautiful piece? “Imagination is he key,” he said the leaves should be cloudy and the truck well define, there is a pattern in preparing the truck, but the pattern will mostly reflect how you imagine your bonsai plant will look like.
Calungsod confessed “I always love challenges, materials challenge my imagination, I like it most if the materials are unlikely to developed winning piece but it ends up a masterpiece.
He can devote 48-hours straight just to work and beautify a piece ”When I am doing a piece, I can stay up for 48 hours and coffee keeps me awake,” he stressed.
He shares time with his family only when “My imagination is not working, and my family demand my time.”
His devotion to his Bonsai has earned him thousands of awards here and abroad. He is often invited to judge a competition here and abroad.
Calungsod is medical technology graduate, he is a graduate of the University of the Philippines bachelor of Science in orchidology and Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.
For him to partake the share of his parents properties, he must be a teacher, a condition he complied but later in quit the teaching procession to pursue his journey with Bonsai “I sacrificed many opportunities and chances because bonsai.”
Calungsod, a selfless man, shares his knowledge and skills to students who want to learn and thrive in the Bonsai world.
Asked what drives him for lay-out a piece “Inspiration? It must be a winning piece.”
Truth is, he said, he was able to produce thousands of masterpiece while “thousands won the competition.”
In many areas in the country, he is no longer allowed to join the race.
Most of his clients are from the cities of Manila and Cebu and their number is growing everyday while his students are now selling their own piece.
Calungsod’s students and his protegee Ian Valles will showcase their masterpieces in a Bonsai Competition on Saturday September 25 until September 26 at Barangay Sta. Cruz, in Midsayap, North Cotabato.
His masterpiece are selling like hotcakes, One could guess that he has earned millions but these never changed his lifestyle his feet remains grounded.
When our group went to his Bonsai garden a day after his birthday on September 6, we saw a farm boy, whose brain is filled with wisdom and attitude oozing with humility—a trait that befits a master. Grow more Maestro!-Editha Z. Caduaya
