WEAVING

WEAVING
. CABUGAO | EROLIN | FE DE LEON
 • /HABI/

 WEAVING IS A METHOD
OF FABRIC PRODUCTION
IN WHICH TWO DISTINCT
SETS OF YARNS OR
THREADS ARE
INTERLACED AT RIGHT
ANGLES TO FORM A
FABRIC OR CLOTH.
IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE TRADITION OF WEAVING HAS
SLOWLY FADED THROUGH TIME. THE YOUNGER
GENERATIONS, REALIZING THAT THERE IS LITTLE INCOME
FROM HAND LOOMING FABRICS, ARE OPTING TO SEEK
WORK AND OPPORTUNITIES IN OTHER PROFESSIONS.
LOCATION IN FAR FLUNG AREAS AND LIMITED
RESOURCES ALSO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR WEAVERS TO
ENGAGE IN PROFITABLE TRADE. FOR THIS REASON, MOST
OF THESE ARTISANS ARE FORCED TO SEEK OPPORTUNITY
DOING OTHER TASKS.
• WEAVING HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PHILIPPINE
HERITAGE. DATING BACK FROM THE PREHISTORY, INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES OF THE PHILIPPINE HAVE ENGAGED IN PRODUCING
TRADITIONAL FABRICS THAT TELL THE COUNTRY'S RICH HISTORY,
CULTURE AND HERITAGE.

EACH FIBER AND THREAD, COLOR AND DESIGN SPEAK OF THE

WEAVER'S INNATE ARTISTRY AND CREATIVITY, AS WELL AS HER
SOCIAL NARRATIVE THAT BELIES THE VALUES SHE LIVES BY.

NOT ONLY SHE IS WEAVING HER STORY IN THE CLOTH, BUT ALSO
SHE PRESERVES THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF HER PEOPLE.
• SEVERAL FACTORS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A SLOW DECLINE OF WEAVING.

MATERIALS ARE HARD TO FIND.

SOME PLANTS (THE SOURCE OF NATURAL MATERIALS) ARE SLOWLY
DISAPPEARING, CAUSED BY SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. OR IF THERE
ARE MATERIALS AVAILABLE, THEY WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE THAT THE
WEAVERS COULD NOT AFFORD THEM.

ANOTHER FACTOR IS THE DEMAND FOR TRADITIONAL TEXTILE IS SO LOW.

PEOPLE WOULD RATHER BUY CHEAP, MASS-PRODUCED FABRICS FROM OTHER
COUNTRIES. ASIDE FROM CONSUMERS HAVE LITTLE, OR NO INTEREST,
THE YOUNG GENERATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY WHERE TRADITIONAL WEAVING
IS PRACTICED ARE NO LONGER INTERESTED TO CONTINUE THE TRADITIONS.
THEY RATHER WORK AT CORPORATIONS IN THE BIG CITIES THAN ENGAGED IN
TIME-CONSUMING, UNPROFITABLE TRADITION.
PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE SHOULD BE A SHARED CAUSE. AS INDIVIDUALS WITH
INFLUENCE IN OUR RESPECTIVE NATIONS, THE TASK BEFORE US IS TO HELP OUR PEOPLE
VALUE AND CONTINUE OUR TRADITIONS.

• WE MUST PROMOTE CULTURAL ENTERPRISES

AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES OF OUR
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.

• WE MUST OPEN DOORS OF OPPORTUNITIES

FOR LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE-SHARING SO
THAT WE EXPAND OUR WEAVING
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL TEXTILE
INDUSTRIES.
• WE MUST NOT GET LOST WHILE WE WELCOME EACH OTHER INTO ONE
COMMUNITY. OUR RESPECTIVE IDENTITIES AS SOVEREIGN NATIONS MUST
REMAIN INTACT. IT IS IN A STRONGER AND STRENGTHENED INDIVIDUAL
COUNTRY’S IDENTITY THAT REGIONAL INTEGRATION IS ENRICHED.

WEAVING AND TRADITIONAL TEXTILES ARE PART OF A RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE

THAT EACH OF OUR NATIONS POSSESSES. THIS HERITAGE WEAVES A NATION’S
PEOPLE INTO ONE UNBREAKABLE FABRIC.
MËRANAW TEXTILE
COMMUNITY: MËRANAW
ORIGIN: LANAO DEL NORTE AND LANAO DEL SUR
THE MËRANAW OF LANAO DEL NORTE AND LANAO DEL
SUR KNOW A WIDE RANGE OF WEAVING TECHNIQUES
INCLUDING THE WEFT AND WARP IKAT TIE-DYE RESIST
AND CONTINUOUS AND DISCONTINUOUS
SUPPLEMENTARY WEFT DESIGN.
SAPUTANGAN TAPESTRY WEAVE
COMMUNITY: YAKAN
ORIGIN: BASILAN
KNOWN FOR BEING HIGHLY-SKILLED, WITH
IMPRESSIVE WEAVING REPERTOIRES, YAKAN
WEAVERS PRODUCE TEXTILE WITH FIVE
DIFFERENT KINDS OF WEAVING, OFTEN
DIFFERENTIATED BY TECHNIQUE, PATTERN,
AND FUNCTION.
T’NALAK
COMMUNITY: TBOLI
ORIGIN: SOUTH COTABATO
THE TRADITIONAL TEXTILE WOVEN BY THE TBOLI
WOMEN, T’NALAK REPRESENTS BIRTH, LIFE, UNION IN
MARRIAGE AND DEATH, AND SHOWS THE
UNIQUENESS AND IDENTITY OF THE INDIGENOUS
GROUP. IT IS OFTEN UTILISED AS BLANKETS AND
CLOTHING, AND USED IN ROYAL WEDDING
CEREMONIES ON RARE OCCASIONS.
MABAL TABIH
COMMUNITY: BLAAN
ORIGIN: SARANGANI AND SOUTH
COTABATO
TABIH, IN BLAAN, REFERS TO THE
NATIVE TUBULAR SKIRT, AND ALSO TO
THE TEXTILE, WHILE MABAL MEANS
“WOVEN” OR “TO WEAVE”.
.

SAGADA
SAGADA WEAVING
WEAVING