Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
EENGAGE
ph.asiatatler.com/life/weaving-the-threads-of-filipino-heritage
In this part of the lesson, you will learn about the textile designs from the
different regions in our country. Such design or art has a special meaning to the
people who use them. Discover the special art found in each of these textiles and
appreciate its cultural significance.
We will start with textiles found in the different CAR provinces then on to the
other regions in the country.
Textile art is the process of creating something using fibers gained from sources
like plants, animals, insects (like silkworms), or synthetic materials. One way to make
such art is through weaving. 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.
Traditional weaving in the Cordilleras was intricately a part of ritual life. Certain textiles
embodied magical functions such as protection from harm, or symbolized status and
wealth. Important individuals (kadangyans) were buried with their prized blankets. It
is said that the more blankets, hence more thread counts, was a deterrent from
malevolent spirits getting into the spirit of the deceased.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 1
In the Cordillera region, there is a rich tradition of weaving that goes back
several centuries. Each of the different indigenous communities in the region
possesses a unique weaving technique, with the resulting forms and patterns
dictated by distinct religious, socio-political and artistic origins, functions and values.
A. Bontoc Textile (Mountain Province)- Bontoc textile has traditional colors and motifs
which include geometric shapes of things around them such as man, lizard,
mountain, rain and flower. The siniwsiwan is Bontoc’s blanket and clothing. The fabric
is used for wanes (g-string for men) and lufid (tapis for women). Married women
oftentimes wear a belt called ginaspala wanes with inawin design composed of
continuous zigzag design.
The Bontoc textile revolves around the idea of centeredness, which symbolizes
permanence, order, and balance, key factors in the life of the Bontoc people.
Weavers demonstrate this idea through the direction of their weave, from the edge
to the middle, to the symmetry of the cloth construction and the repeated warp-
striped design.
Bontoc weavers learn the craft through various stages. Young Bontoc girls
usually start their training with the simplest part of the cloth, the langkit or edging.
Next, they move on to pa-ikid (side panels), learning simple designs such as fatawil
(warp-bands) and shukyong (arrows). After mastering this level, they move on to the
most challenging part, the sinangad-am design which represents the Sinamaki
weaving. Here, they incorporate designs on the bands such as tinagtakho (human
figure), minatmata (diamond), and tinitiko (zigzag). The pa-khawa (the center
panel) is the next thing they have to master. The center panel features a band in the
middle and a kan-ay (supplementary weft) at its end.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 2
Because of the complex process of adding the kan-ay, the center panel
would be woven last. When all the parts are ready, they would be sewn together in
the reverse order of their creation, ending with the langkit.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 3
Figure 2: Kalinga
C. Abra Textile- Textile from this province are dyed using natural dyes from plants:
mahogany for red, jackfruit and ginger for yellow, the malatayum plant for indigo
and the narra tree for brown,among others. One common design in their fabric is the
frog, which is traditionally worn during the rainy month in the belief that this will please
the gods and their ancestors in giving them the best out of the planting season
D. Benguet Textile- The early people of Benguet actually used ethnic blankets
woven by the Ilocanos of Tagudin and Bangar, Ilocos Province. Contrary to the
present generation’s notion that ethnic blankets are only used for death-related
rituals and ceremonies, the early Benguets used blankets daily. These blankets have
different names and kinds depending on their owner’s status, age and gender. This
was revealed through a baseline study by Erlinda Alupias, Betty Gayao, Dalen
Meldoz and Jaila Sagpa-ey titled “Improving the Textile Industry in Benguet. ”The
study showed that the lifestyle of the Benguet people since the early 1960s was
influenced by traders and migrants from the lowlands who had more access to
different kinds of blankets, clothes and other fabrics.However, the original designs
and figures have been lost in the memory of old folks and even the Ilocano
weavers because the knowledge was passed on orally until it became a part of
the culture of the Benguet Ibalois and Kankana-eys. This process is locally termed as
tinmaru-tarun. Since only the rich could afford the woven products from the
Ilocanos embroidered with different designs, the blankets became associated to
their status, hence the status blankets.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 4
determined by the arrangement of the design like the snake sign being placed after
the man. In the case of the salibobo/sadipopo or bedbed, a headband used by rich
old men or community leaders, the design corresponds with the status blanket. Most
often, the status level is determined by the number of eyelet designs. If there are nine
or 13 or 15 eyelet designs, this is the corresponding number of animals to be
butchered or have been butchered in a cañao.
Blankets worn only by those who already performed certain steps of cañao
are called alahdang/alechang, pinagpagan, dilli/shengdi and kuabaw/sarong.
Blankets worn by the poor with simple designs are
called bayaong/kolebaw and bandala/safey. Blankets like manta and mabli were
used years later.Status blankets can be inherited or acquired. There are areas in
Benguet where people are particular in using ethnic blankets that should be identical
to what his/her ancestors used. In other areas, the prestige of using status blankets
may be attained after performing levels of cañao.
Historically, Benguet people wore g-strings made out of tree barks. When g-
strings made from woven cloth was introduced, those who can afford discarded
their tree bark g-strings. In areas near Metro Baguio like Atok, it was in the late 1940s
that kuba was seldom worn. In Kibungan, old men from the outskirt barangays
stopped using kuba in the late 1980s. In Kabayan, men stopped using toto/kubal in
the 1970s.There are no meanings attributed to the colors of the kuba. Generally,
the kuba worn by a man should be the kuba design worn by his forefathers. The
kankana-eys have several kinds of g-string: the baa, binoltong, pillac,
pinangsas and sinulaman. For the Ibaloi men they have
the pinangsas, padasan and donas.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 5
materials takes longer to decompose. Because of this, it is believed that the spirit of
the dead would cause trouble for the living relatives.
E. Ifugao Textile- Ifugao ikat weaving is a style that uses a resist dyeing process before
the threads are woven to create a pattern or design. The result of this process is a
motif which is fuzzy in appearance. This textile is characterized by diamond stripes of
white and red stripes. In addition, the textiles depict traditional symbols of the Ifugao,
pictograph renderings that contain a history of meaning: s-like shapes denote the
status of a headhunter, diamonds represent ferns and x’s portray fish. One special
textile is the Ga’mong which is a funeral blanket used to cloak the corpse of the
deceased and it is not to be used for any other purpose.
Some of the most common designs found in Ifugao textile are the following:
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 6
Image from https://www.facebook.com/pg/ifugaoartsandcrafts/photos/
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 7
Image from https://www.facebook.com/pg/ifugaoartsandcrafts/photos/
Image from https://www.facebook.com/pg/ifugaoartsandcrafts/photos/
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 8
Image from https://www.facebook.com/pg/ifugaoartsandcrafts/photos/
Image from https://www.facebook.com/pg/ifugaoartsandcrafts/photos/
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 9
Image from https://www.facebook.com/pg/ifugaoartsandcrafts/photos/
Image from https://www.facebook.com/pg/ifugaoartsandcrafts/photos/
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 10
Image from https://www.facebook.com/pg/ifugaoartsandcrafts/photos/
Textiles from Other Regions
1. ILOCOS Textile
Binakol
Origin: Ilocos and Abra
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 11
Pinilian
Community: Ilocano
Origin: Ilocos Region (also Abra)
Among the complicated one is the brocade weave or pinilian, which uses sticks
inserted on selected warp threads to create designs that float on the threads.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 12
2. AKLAN Textile
Piña
Community: Aklanon
Origin: Aklan
The leaves provide two kinds of fibers—the bastos or the rough fiber, and the
liniwan or the fine fiber. Using a shard of Chinese porcelain, the stripper removes the
epidermis of the leaf, exposing the lustrous bastos fiber. After stripping the leaves of
the rough fibers, the stripper then run a coconut shell on the inner layer of the leaf to
expose the liniwan.
The degumming process entails repeated rinsing, beating, and air-drying of the
fibers. When the fibers are completely dried, the weaver connects each strand
through knotting to produce long continuous strands before the weaving process,
which uses the pedal loom.
The Aklanons of western Panay Island are known for the piña with inlaid
supplementary weft designs or more often embroidered with floral or vegetal designs
on the lattice ground. Lumban in Laguna and Taal in Batangas are known
embroidery centres. The piña is the preferred material for the barong Tagalog.
3. PANAY Textile
Hablon
Communities: Kiniray-a and Hiligaynon
Origin: Panay Island
Hablon is Hiligaynon for “something
woven,” from the root word habol, “to
weave”. It refers to the hand-woven textiles
by Kiniray-a and Hiligaynon weavers.
Image from https://nolisoli.ph/26741/philippine-weaves-habi/
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 13
In a Panayanon legend, ten datus from Borneo landed on Panay Island,
established settlements and ushered in an era of development. One of the
legendary datus was Datu Lubay, who is said to introduce the art of weaving textiles.
Weaving using the pedal loom had been common in the provinces of Iloilo and
Antique until the arrival of mechanised weaving. Now, there are very few places
where traditional weaving is practiced, notable of these are Miag-ao in Iloilo and
Bagtasan, Bugasong in Antique.
The hablon is usually a plain weave and has plaid and striped designs. It is
usually used for the patadyong, the Visayan wraparound skirt, and panuelo.
Patadyong
Origin: Negros (Antique, Panay, Oton,
Miagao, Ilo-ilo)
4. JOLO Textile
Tausug
Origin: Jolo
The traditional rivals of the
Yakans in Sulu, the Tausug
tapestry weaves make use of a
back-strap loom and also
feature sacred geometries in
their designs. The Tausug people
follow the Islamic prohibition of
representing human and animal
forms; thus, the ukkil or abstract
motifs in geometric shapes suggestive of the natural world.
Types: Image from https://nolisoli.ph/26741/philippine-weaves-habi/
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 14
A multi-colored headdress is traditionally worn by men that features
symmetrical geometric designs and represents the wearer’s rank in society. It can be
draped over the shoulder or tied around the hilt of the kris (sword). The kambut, on
the other hand, is a waist sash worn by men.
Mabal Tabih
Community: Blaan
Origin: Sarangani and South Cotabato
resist ikat technique and natural dyes from native plants. Designs usually
depict crocodiles and tiny curls. The Blaan are also known to be accomplished
embroiderers and the tabih is often meticulously embellished with embroidery. A
practice traditionally reserved to women of high status, weaving has a strong spiritual
context in Blaan society, believed to be the gift from Furalo, the goddess of weaving.
Aside from the tubular skirts, the abaca textile is used for making garment for men,
as well as covering for important materials such as knives.
Bagobo Inabal
Community: Bagobo Manobo
Origin: Davao del Sur
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 15
forming mother-and-baby crocodile figures in geometricised abstracted forms. The
dyestuffs are all extracted from plants in their surroundings. The finished abaca fibers
undergo a polishing process, using a smooth shell.
Beeswax, which is applied to the beater during the weaving process, adds to the
sheen during the finishing process. The Bagobo textile is usually used for making the
native tubular skirt, of which there are two types, sinukla and the bandira.
Dagmay
Community: Mandaya
Origin: Eastern Mindanao
They use a mud dyeing technique. Used to obtain black, the technique is
based on the reaction between the tannins applied on the the yarn before
treatment, and the iron found on the mud. The bark of the tree, which contains
tanninsm is pounded to a pulp and boiled together with the abaca yarn. The mud is
then added to the mixture. The yarn is steeped for one to several hours for the best
results.
Dagmay designs usually tell the story about the weaver and her community, as well
as the spirits that live on Earth. The dagmay is usually used for women’s skirt, but it is
also used as blankets or wraps for the dead.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 16
8. LANAO Textile
Mëranaw Textile
Community: Mëranaw
Origin: Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur
Made using a narrow, specialised kind of tapestry loom, langkit, usually comes
in two kinds: tabrian or the narrow panel, and lakban or the wider panel. Beautifully
designed, the langkit has distinct Maranao okir designs including potiok (bud), dapal
or raon (leaf), pako (fern), pako rabong (growing fern) and katorai (flower). These
intricate designs are made using discontinuous weft.
9. SULU Textile
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 17
technique, the pis syabit tapestry weaving of Tausug has no preset pattern sticks or
pre-designed warp yarns into which the weaver inserts the desert yarn.
The weaver has to clearly imagine the pattern in her mind as she inserts one
coloured weft yarn one at a time to fill up the space in the warp, in a sequence her
mind only knows. The weaver creates a perfectly symmetrical composition of squares
and Xs with hooks, and in seven to eight colours.
T’nalak
Community: Tboli
Origin: South Cotabato
A t’nalak traditionally has three colours: black, red, and white. The fibers are
then woven using the backstrap loom. The textile is then washed in the river, beaten
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 18
with a wooden stick to flatten the knots, and burnishing the surface with a cowrie
shell.
The late Lang Dulay was widely regarded as one of the best weavers and was
bestowed the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan in 1998. Pictured here is one of her
creations.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 19
Types
a. Peneh pitumpuh
b. Bunga sama
c. Sinaluan
d. Saputangan
Photo Credits:
Patrick Segovia of NOLISoLIPH
Tatler Asia Limited
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 20