Guitars gently weeping: How Lapu-Lapu's guitar industry strums through pandemic, super typhoon
AS THE Covid-19 pandemic persists, Lapu-Lapu's guitar industry continues to gently weep.
"We have zero guitar sales since February [2023] started," Jayme Igot Gala, salesman and part-owner of Marilyn Guitar in Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City, said in Cebuano. "No one's buying our guitar like before."
Marilyn Guitar, a well-known guitar store in the barangay, is one of many wood-instrument shops in the famed "Guitar Country" Pajac-Maribago strip in the city that still suffers from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cebu is famed for the quality of its musical instruments, especially guitars, a legacy of craftmanship passed down from generations of skilled artisans and luthiers.
The guitar industry in Lapu-Lapu City, specifically, has not only contributed to its economy but also to its culture and identity.
"The [guitar] sales here in Lapu-Lapu really come from tourists. Before the pandemic, the streets are filled with tourists who pass by after they visit resorts. Lahi na gyud karon (it is really different now)," Gala said.
Noel Igot, a salesman at CD Guitar in Barangay Pajac, could not help but compare how different sales were before and after the pandemic struck.
"During the lockdowns, some people are really eager to buy a guitar and knock on our store since we are one of only a few stores around the area that actually own a lot. Others were forced to close down because they could no longer pay rent for their store. People are really searching for a guitar at that time to pass the time inside their homes," Valiente said in Cebuano.
With the rise of online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms, it has become easier for people to purchase guitars without leaving their homes.
Many of these guitar manufacturers and retailers have adapted to the changing times by offering their products on social media like Facebook and Instagram, and sites like Lazada and Shopee, allowing customers to browse and purchase guitars from the safety of their own homes.
This has led to an increase in demand for entry-level and beginner guitars. As a result, many guitar shops have adapted to this trend by offering more affordable and accessible options to cater to this growing market.
"Dakong tabang ang technology. Adto man mi mokuha og income sa Facebook... among i-post didto. Makakita pud ang among mga buyer nga taga lagyo, so makapalit gyud sila. Maka-explain mi tarong nga mao pud among gitara, hand-made, lig-on," Igot said.
(Technology is really a big help for us. We get most of our income through Facebook. We post our products on our page. Enthusiasts from faraway places could easily buy from us. We can also communicate to them that our products are all hand-made and durable.)