WEAVING

HISTORY OF
WEAVING
THE PRE-COLONIAL ERA
According to various accounts of early
explorers of the pre-colonial era, the
Filipino people used fibers made from
natural materials, such as abaca (Manila
hemp), maguey, pineapple, cotton and tree
bark, to weave textiles, clothes, rugs, hats
and baskets, along with quilts and bedding.
Weaving was an inextricable part of the
Filipino people’s lifestyle. All clothing items,
such as the Malong and the Tapis, were
made of hand-woven fabric. The quality of
the weaves was based on how soft, tightly
woven and clean their patterns were.
Favorite themes included thick multi-
colored stripes and clear patterns.
 Various regions of the country are very well
known for their intricately woven textiles, ranging from
the pinya cloth, a sheer kind of weave which is made of
fibers that are extracted from the leaves of the
pineapple plant, to colorful tapestries and waist cloths
of different tribes, made of cotton or other, Western
materials.
The Filipino people were also masters in
basket weaving, since necessity lead them to construct
light, hardy and comfortable baskets in which they could
safely and relatively easily transport their belongings.
They also made storage baskets, lunch baskets, as well
as trapping baskets, which were used to trap fish in rice
paddies, each featuring their own special technique.
Apart from fabric and baskets, the Filipino
people would weave beautiful mats to be
used as bedding. They were usually seen as a
woman’s work, and were made of leaves of
the pandan or the buri palm. Decorated with
stripes, simple linear patterns were formed
using natural fibers, which were typically
stripped, boiled and dyed before being woven
together. Mats were so popular that they were
sometimes used as currency in markets.
SPANISH COLONIZATION
For Filipinos, with Spanish colonization
(1565-1898) came a permanent shift from a
weaving lifestyle and living off the land to
one of fighting for their independence.
Woven products were still seen as wealth,
and often used as a commodity for trading.

The Spanish colonization, even though it

meant the introduction of many modern
facilities, such as hospitals and schools,
along with new technology, new industries,
new crops, a new religion and an
appreciation for arts and literature, didn’t
seem to respect the Filipino’s culture. The
Spanish didn’t shy away from exploiting the
people for cheap labor in their quest for
gold, all the while demanding from them to
become more ‘civilized’ and ‘cultured’.
 The traditional fabric that caught the attention of the
Spanish was the nipis, a very versatile kind of textile that was made
from woven stalks of the abaca plant. The various techniques of
making and embroidering nipis were passed down through the ages
from generation to generation. This colorful, striped or
embroidered kind of textile was traditionally used for making
clothed and other everyday items for both men and women. Nipis
was introduced into the international market in the late 19th
century.
The Filipino people, influenced by the Spanish religious
practices, started using new materials in new ways; long stalks of
coconut or buri palm (called palapas) were woven together into
plaits, which were sometimes decorated with crepe-paper flowers.
Hand-woven mats still retained their popularity, and were
now made to order, sometimes bearing the letters ‘mr’, ‘mrs’ and
‘recuerdo’. They were often offered as gifts for special occasions.
 AMERICAN COLONIZATION
During the American colonization, the
artistic focus was primarily turned towards the
new and exciting avant-garde art, which was
gaining popularity worldwide. The USA
colonization introduced new food, new cars,
new types of clothing (jeans and t-shirts) to
the Filipinos, who were influenced by the
Americans’ lifestyle of consumerism and over-
consumption.
MATERIALS
USED FOR
WEAVING
WILLOW
Willow is a tree or shrub that
grows well in moderate
climates, such as that of
England or North America. It
can be used for weaving
different objects, most notably
willow baskets. Interlacing
willow spokes is not much
different than interlacing
threads when making cloths.
SHEEP WOOL
Yarn made from sheep wool is one
of the most popular materials for
weaving clothes. The properties of
sheep yarn can vary, depending on
the breed of sheep, the climate and
the time of year of the shearing. For
example, the best wool comes from
sheep residing at high elevations
and having access to good grazing
grounds and water.
COTTON
Cotton threads are
generally less elastic than
wool yarn, though they
are also more resistant.
This allows tighter knots
to be tied on cotton
warps as opposed to wool
ones. Cotton is also
cheaper than wool.
SILK
Another popular material for
weaving fabric is silk. Silk is
characterized by high tensile
strength, which means it can be
twisted very finely. Like cotton,
silk threads are quite resistant.
The best silk is produced from
the first part of the long thread
with which the silk worm spins
its cocoon (when unrolled, the
cocoon thread can stretch up to
25,000 meters).
TYPES OF WEAVING
FAMOUS
FILIPINO
WEAVERS
LANG DULAY
Lang Dulay (August 3, 1928 -
April 30, 2015) was
a Filipino traditional weaver
who was a recipient of
the National Living Treasures
Award.
She is credited with preserving
her people's tradition of
weaving T'nalak, a dyed fabric
made from
refined abaca fibre.
Magdalena Gamayo
Based in Pinili, Ilocos Norte, Magdalena Gamayo
took up weaving when she was 16, guided by
her aunt’s patterns. She received her first loom
from her father three years later, which she
would end up using for 30 years. She taught
herself traditional patterns, such as kusikus
(whirlwind), marurup (Milky Way), and sinan
paddak ti pusa (cat’s pawprint), building on the
more common inuritan (geometric design) and
sinan-sabong (flowers).
Gamayo’s skill and instinct are none more
apparent than they are in her ability to replicate
designs she’s only seen once. Her binakol, or
woven cloth, continues to draw praise and awe
for its above-average thread count and uniform
weave. To keep Ilocos’ abel weaving tradition
alive, she teaches her practice to her cousin’s
daughter-in-law and sister-in-law. She was
awarded in 2012.
Haja Amina Appi
Weaving pandan mats is a long and difficult
process that is handed down from woman to
woman across generations: Pandan leaves are
harvested and made into narrow, long strips,
sun-dried, pressed, and dyed before finally
becoming suitable for weaving. The resulting
mats are used for sleeping and saying prayers, or
given as gifts to newlyweds.
Haja Amina Appi of Ungos Matata, Tandubas,
Tawi-Tawi created intricate mats that boast
beautiful geometric designs, vibrant colors, and
fine symmetry. She was awarded National Living
Treasure in 2004. She experimented with her
work and developed her own tints to create the
hues she had in mind. Appi passed away in 2013,
but her art lives on through her children and
other young women in her community.
Salinta Monon
Salinta Monon was 12 when she began
learning to weave the inabal, a traditional
Bagobo textile. In her home in Bansalan, Davao
del Sur, Monon would isolate herself from
family to be able to concentrate on creating
her cloths and skirts, which took three to four
months and a month to finish, respectively.
Her favorite pattern, despite or because of its
difficulty, was the binuwaya (crocodile), and
she continued weaving until her death in 2009.
For her, not only was it a source of income, it
was a source of pride as well. She and her
younger sister were the only Bagobo weavers
left in their community, and she dreamt of
having a structure built for teaching new
would-be weavers. She was awarded in 1998.
Darhata Sawabi
Darhata Sawabi’s mission was to lead young
women towards making a living out of her
craft. The Parang, Sulu-based textile
weaver’s primary creation was the
headpiece pis siyabit — pis stands for the
pattern, which is said to be derived from
India’s mandala, depicting spirituality
through geometric forms, and siyabit refers
to the hook and technique. She gained
recognition for the precision of her work
and her passion for preserving traditional
designs, as well as teaching the youth and
was awarded in 2004. She passed away in
2005.