Pedro Buencamino

Background

Pedro Buencamino was born on August 1, 1866, in Abucay, Bataan, Philippines. He was the son of Bruno Buencamino and Rufina Carlos.

Education

Pedro Buencamino never finished his schooling which he had begun in his home town.

Career

Pedro Buencamino began his career in his early youth. At thirteen or fourteen, he became apprenticed to a circus company directed by Marianito Flores. As a circus-man, he traveled widely for ten years throughout the archipelago, performing the varied roles of a fire-eater, fire-walker, and fire-jumper. At one time, he performed with Praxedes Julia Fernandez. He finally got tired of being a circus man, he retired and found a place to stay in Manila. It was probably while working in the circus that he learned how to play the guitar and bandurria. In the city, he began to repair guitars. From whom, it is not known, although it seems that he learned the technique by frequenting Ongpin Street which then housed many music stores and repair shops for string instruments. Later his knowledge embraced that of other string instruments. By undoing and assembling parts, he soon learned to make musical instruments with native wood - kamagong, kalantaw, and lanite chiefly.

He accepted repair jobs at his residence on Isaac Peral Street. At about thirty he married and the couple became masons. They hid at the outbreak of the Revolution in San Fernando, Pampanga, where Buencamino established a barbershop and music store combined. After three years, he went back to Manila and opened a barbershop there. He moved from one place to another maintaining a small store. In 1908, he exhibited different strings instruments in the Philippine Exposition. In 1916, he finally realized his dream when he established the music store "El Sol Mayor" on Rizal Avenue which he maintained until his death.

Besides guitars and bandurrias, he also manufactured violins, violoncellos, basses, and harps. He invented or devised an apparatus that facilitated the making of different moulds useful in the manufacture of his own instruments which were liked locally because of their tone quality. He counted among his patrons such musicians as Bibiano Morales, Nicanor Abelardo, Jose Silos, Balbino Carrion, and C. Llames. It took him three days to make a guitar and about a week - violin. He employed some six workers in his shop. During his life, he made a saving of around twenty thousand pesos out of the sale of string instruments of his own manufacture but this was practically spent in regaining his health during the last two years of his life.

Achievements

• Pedro Buencamino was a gifted musical instrument manufacturer. In the Philippine Exposition, he was awarded a medal for his instruments. He patterned an octavilla and picolo of his own design which were popular.

Membership

Pedro Buencamino was a member of the Union Espiritista Cristiana de Filipinas.

Personality

Pedro Buencamino had chief weakness in women.

Connections

Pedro Buencamino was married to Petra Martin. They had no children.

Father:

Bruno Buencamino

Mother:

Rufina Carlos

Wife:

Petra Martin

References

• Dictionary of Philippine Biography
  1970