SANTO Tomas is known for its pottery and casket industries. Early this week, the town hosted its first “Ataol Festival” (Casket Festival) in a bid to galvanize its position as the country’s casket capital.

The event featured colorful caskets with flower motifs. The people had the chance to have their photos taken inside the caskets while some caskets contained live people posing as cadavers.

Barangay San Vicente produced most of the town’s caskets, accounting for 80 percent or eight of 10 caskets made in the entire town.

The event also featured a parade that displayed the biggest casket made in the town as well as other over decorated caskets. The parade resembled a long funeral procession with the caskets in the parade carried inside mobile hearse or on top of owner-type jeepneys.

The festival also hosted a contest for the best and most creative funeral setup. Some had movie-inspired themes, including horror movie setups.

The event aims to promote the town’s casket industry.

Santo Tomas is known as the "Casket Capital" of the Philippines, supplying beautiful wooden and metal coffins to funeral parlors around the country.

The town is also known for creating XLT jeepneys which are displayed along the stretch of MacArthur Highway in Sitio Balangcas, and pottery due to the unique clay-like composition of its soil.