‘KMJS’ apologizes to Paete woodcarver Pio Fadul’s family over Halloween feature - Interaksyon

News magazine program “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS)” has apologized to Paete woodcarver Pio Fadul and his family following concerns over the portrayal of one of his creations in the program’s Halloween special.

In a statement issued Tuesday, November 3, “KMJS” said it respected Fadul’s craftsmanship and the art of Paete’s woodcarvers, explaining that it had reached out to the woodcarver and his family after learning about the experiences associated with one of his sculptures. The Nov. 1, 2026 episode featured a segment titled “Ukit,” which discussed experiences shared by Lily guitarist Nathan Reyes involving a La Pietà woodcarving he received as a gift after the band’s performance in Paete.

Before the episode aired, “KMJS” introduced the story on social media with the question, “May kaugnayan kaya ang mga ito sa ukit?”

The promotional post featured Reyes’ account of alleged disturbances at his home after displaying the wooden carving in his bedroom.

Reyes recounted that he noticed household items breaking days after bringing the carving home. He also described seeing a transparent figure and said his cousin consulted two albularyos, who allegedly gave similar explanations about the wooden artwork.

“Possessed daw ang inuwi naming inukit na plaka!” Reyes said..

In its statement, KMJS said the segment also featured Fadul’s creations and his clarification that his works were not inhabited by evil entities.

The program added that it interviewed the Paete Historical and Cultural Heritage Foundation Inc., which emphasized that woodcarving is part of the town’s livelihood and faith tradition and should not be feared.

“Nililinaw namin na ang ulat ay tungkol sa mga karanasang iniugnay sa isang partikular na ukit at hindi dapat maging batayan upang iugnay sa masasamang elemento ang iba pang likha ni Fadul o ang Ukit Paete sa pangkalahatan,” KMJS said.

The program acknowledged that the report could affect Paete’s woodcarving industry and stressed that it had no intention of damaging public trust in local art and livelihood.

“Nauunawaan namin na maaaring makaapekto ang ulat sa industriya ng pag-uukit sa Paete, at hindi namin layuning makasira sa tiwala sa kanilang sining at kabuhayan,” it said.

“KMJS” added that it had reached out to the Fadul family to discuss their concerns and apologized to them and the people of Paete for the worry caused by the report.

In their statement posted on Facebook on Monday, November 2, Fadul’s family said they appreciated the opportunity to be interviewed by “KMJS” but did not expect his work to be used in a horror story that could create a misleading impression about the woodcarver and his creations.

The family said it respected Reyes’ right to share his personal experiences and did not intend to question his account.

However, they expressed concern that the segment did not provide enough context about Fadul’s background as a woodcarver, his personal experiences, and the cultural value of his creations.

The family also clarified that Fadul’s wife’s statement about her husband’s experiences referred to his mental health struggles, not paranormal occurrences.

“Ang tinutukoy ng kanyang Misis/Asawa tungkol sa kanyang pahayag ay hindi tungkol sa KABABALAGHAN kundi tungkol sa pinagdaanang sakit sa pag iisip ng kanyang asawa na si Pio. the family wrote.

They stressed that Fadul had spent years developing his woodworking skills and that his creations were part of Paete’s long-standing woodcarving tradition.

“Ang aming sining ay nagkukuwento ng husay at dedikasyon, hindi ng takot,” the family said.

The family also thanked those who expressed their support and encouraged the public to appreciate Fadul’s creations for the artistry and dedication behind them rather than the stories associated with the sculptures. Meanwhile, Reyes reshared the family’s clarification on social media. The repost came as the family addressed concerns about how the woodcarver and his La Pietà creation were portrayed in the Halloween feature.

He also apologized, according to a report by PEP.