Eduardo Mutuc

Mutuc is a Kapampangan from Apalit, Pampanga. On October 12, 1949, he was born into a family of farmers and had nine siblings. He only finished his elementary education, then began assisting his parents with their farms. As an adult, he kept up his farming activities. He married his wife at the age of 20, and the two of them had nine children. He began his artistic career as a woodcarver at the age of 29, seeking a way to augment his earnings from farming with a different source of income. As an assistant, he worked for his relatives, the Lozano family, who ran an antique business. Carlos Quiros taught him woodcarving throughout his time there.  

His path changed after he was exposed to silver plating by a fellow craftsman, after he had been making furniture for around five or six years. This technique gave him additional opportunities because it replicated the look of gold and silver leaf used to decorate saints and holy screens in colonial churches. The first major order he received was to create a tabernacle for the Fairview church in Quezon City, from Monsignor Fidelis Limcauco. Clients started approaching him for different commissions after that, many of which were influenced by Spanish colonial designs. In 2004, he has given the national living treasure award.