AMBALANG AUSALIN
Textile Weaver, 2016
(born 4 March 1943)
By Earl Francis C. Pasilan
The Yakan of Basilan are known to
be among the finest weavers in the
Southern Philippines. They create
eye-catching and colorful textiles
with tiny motifs, and possess
techniques wielded only by
seasoned weavers accomplishing
designs restricted for utilization
within a certain weaving category
only.
Weaving is an extremely important
craft in the Yakan community. All
Yakan women in the past were
trained in weaving. Long ago, a
common practice among the Yakan
was that, when a female was born,
the pandey, traditional midwife,
would cut the umbilical cord using a
wooden bar called bayre (other
Yakan pronounce this as beyde).
That bar was used for ‘beating-in’ the
weft of the loom. By thus severing of
the umbilical cord, it was believed
that the infant would grow up to
become an accomplished weaver.
This, and all other aspects of the
Yakan weaving tradition, is best
personified by a seventy-three-year-
old virtuoso from the weaving
domicile of the Yakan in
Parangbasak, Lamitan
On Jan. 26, it was
announced that
Manlilikha ng Bayan
Yabing Masalon Dulo,
or Fu Yabing, passed
away at the age of 106.
“Her exemplary oeuvre
has brought pride to her
community, animating
the interest of many
young B’laan in their
remarkable cultural
heritage,” the National
Commission for
Culture and the Arts
wrote of the master
weaver.
Lang Dulay (1928-2015)
Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan,1998
Textile Weaver
T'boli
Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
Using abaca fibers as fine as hair,
Lang Dulay spoke more
eloquently than words can.
Images from the distant past of
her people, the Tbolis, were
recreated by her nimble hands –
the crocodiles, butterflies, and
flowers, along with mountains
and streams, of Lake Sebu, South
Cotabato, where she and her
ancestors were born – fill the
fabric with their longing to be
remembered. Through her
weaving, Lang Dulay did what she
could to keep her people’s
tradition alive.
ESTELITA BANTILAN
Mat Weaver, 2016
The remote village of
Buscalan, home of the famed
last mambabatok of her
generation, has never been
this accessible. Sure, you still
need to endure the 12 hour-
body-numbing drive from
Manila with its city gridlock
to the winding mountain
roads of the Cordilleras,
swerving around landslide
debris and oncoming trucks
in dangerously foggy
conditions. But the dirt path
from the turnoff in the
municipality of Tinglayan,
Kalinga—clearly marked by a
sign that
proclaims Welcome! Whang-
Od Buscalan Tattoo Village—
is now paved over, reducing
hike time by over an hour.
What’s left is a strenuous
climb through the rice
terraces that a reasonably fit
person can conquer in 40
minutes.
The Sarimano
The Manunggul k is a
Jar is a legendary bird
secondary burial
that serves as
jar excavated
the symbol of
from a Neolithic
the Maranaos.
burial site in the
Came from the
Manunggul cave
words “sari” (a
of the Tabon
garment of
Caves at Lipuun
different colors
Point in Palawan,
deeply related
Philippines. It
to their culture)
dates from 890–
and “manok”
710 B.C. and the
(rooster with
two prominent
its beautiful
figures at the top
and colorful
handle of its cover
feathers), it,
represent the
journey of the soul accordingly,
to the afterlife. represents
good fortune
and prosperity
and is also an
Fernando Amorsolo is one of the greatest artists in the Philippines, known for his depictions of the
countryside. As a mountaineer, and one who would like to build a collection of mountain art in the future, I
am struck by his faithful depictions of Philippine mountains.
The Sarimanok is
the legendary bird
that has become
an ubiquitous
symbol of
Maranao art. It is
depicted as a fowl
with colorful wings
and feathered tail,
holding a fish on
its beak or talons.
The head is
profusely
decorated with
scroll, leaf, and
spiral motifs. It is
said to be a
symbol of good
fortune.
In 1992, the Philippine government, through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), shed light on the many cultural bearers
of folk art through the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA).
Also known as the National Living Treasure Awards, GAMABA recognizes Filipino artisans, “whose distinctive skills have reached such a high
level of technical excellence and have been passed on to and widely practiced by the present generation in his/ her community with the same
degree of technical and artistic competence.”
GAMABA is considered to be equal to the National Artist award, as both awards come with the same benefits. Since its inception, over 16
artisans have been conferred with the award, one of which is Magdalena Galinato Gamayo.
HAJA AMINA APPI (+ 2013)
Mat Weaver
Sama
Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi
2004
Haja Amina Appi of Ungos Matata,
Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi, is recognized
as the master mat weaver among the
Sama indigenous community of
Ungos Matata. Her colorful mats with
their complex geometric patterns
exhibit her precise sense of design,
proportion and symmetry and
sensitivity to color. Her unique multi-
colored mats are protected by a plain
white outer mat that serves as the
mat’s backing. Her functional and
artistic creations take up to three
months to make.
The art of mat weaving is handed
down the matrilateral line, as men in
the Sama culture do not take up the
craft. The whole process, from
harvesting and stripping down the
pandan leaves to the actual execution
of the design, is exclusive to women.
It is a long and tedious process, and
requires much patience and stamina.
It also requires an eye for detail, an
unerring color instinct, and a genius
for applied mathematics.
