Textile weaver

Tausug
Parang, Sulu
Women weavers are hard at work weaving the pis syabit, the
traditional cloth tapestry worn as a head covering by the
Tausug of Jolo.
Darhata Sawabi is one of those who took the art of pis syabit
making to heart.
The families in her native Parang still depend on subsistence
farming as their main source of income. But farming does not
bring in enough money to support a family, and is not even an
option for someone like Darhata Sawabi who was raised from
birth to do only household chores.
Darhata Sawabi was never been married.
The money she earns from making the colorful squares of cloth
has enabled her to become self-sufficient and less dependent on
her nephews and nieces.
A hand woven square measuring 39 by 40 inches, which
takes her some three months to weave, brings her
about p2,00. These squares are purchased by Tausug
for headpieces, as well as to adorn native attire, bags
and other accessories. The glamorous kind of arts that
she applies in her works makes her output little higher
than others. Her own community of weavers
recognizes her expertise in the craft, her bold
contrasting colors, evenness of her weave and her
faithfulness to traditional designs.
Pis syabit weaving is a difficult art. Preparing the warp alone
already takes three days. It is a very mechanical task,
consisting of stringing black and red threads across a
banana and bamboo frame to form the base of the tapestry.
At 48, and burdened by years of hard work, Sawabi no
longer has the strength or the stamina for this. Instead, she
hires one of the neighboring children or apprentice weaver
to do it at the cost of p300. It is a substantial amount,
considering the fact that she still has to spend for thread.
Sawabi’s typical creations features several colors, including
the basic black and red that form the warp, and a particular
color can require up to eight cones, depending on the role
it plays in the design. All in all, it comes up to considerable
capital which she can only recover after much time and
effort.
Sawabi faces other challenges to her art as well. In 1970’s,
when Jolo was torn apart by armed struggle, Sawabi
and her family were often forced to abandon their
home in search of safer habitats. The first time she was
forced to abandon her weaving was very painful
experience as it was impossible for her to bring the
loom along with her to the forest where they sought
refuge. They returned home to see the pis she have
been working in for nearly a month destroyed by
fighting. There was nothing for her to do except pick
up the pieces of her loom and start again. Because of
her dedication to her art, generations of traditional
Tausug designs have been presserved and are available
for contemporary appreciation and future study.
She continues to weave at home, while
teaching the other women of her
community. In recent years, she had several
apprentices, and more and more people
have bought her work.
Sawabi remains faithful to the art of pis syabit weaving.
Her strokes are firm and sure, her colors sensitivity
acute and her dedication to the quality of her products
unwavering. She recognizes the need for her to remain
in the community and continue with her mission to
teach the art of pis syabit weaving. She had, after all
already been teaching the young women of Parang
how make a living from their woven fabrics. Some of
her students are already teachers themselves. She
looks forward to sharing the tradition of pis syabit
weaving to the younger generations.