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Weaving in the Philippines

A few years back, Philippine traditional weaving practices and colorful indigenous textiles were put into spotlight when it was put on permanent exhibition at the National Museum through the efforts of Sen. Loren Legarda. Entitled, “Hibla ng Lahing Pilipino: The Artistry of Philippine Textiles,” the exhibition highlighted the distinct creativity and DNA of the Filipino people among other cultures through fabric. That history is also shown to have “woven together” traditions and skills, artistry and sensibility that inspired our ancestors across the islands.

Eventually, the exhibition was graced by Queen Sofia of Spain, Paolo Zegna of Ermenegildo Zegna, and Lady Lynn Forester de Rotschild among many others and continued to gain popularity. However, it did not only rest on the museum but was promoted further on malls when Rustan’s chairman and CEO Nedy Tantoco partnered with the senator.

Filipino artistry and creativity are evident in various art forms but what makes the weaving culture distinct is its power to unite people as strong, resilient communities bound by living tradition and colorful textile patterns and motifs.

ART-MAKING

It is amazing how in different parts of our country there are lots of Indigenous Filipinos who have their own technique and materials in weaving. The patterns they create defines the community they are in. We can see the wittiness of each indigenous artist with how they pick their own materials from nature and feel the passion as they pour their hearts in their work of art.

PINILIAN, Ilocano

The Ilocano of northwestern Philippines is well-known for their hand weaving, a tradition with ancient roots, with the kapas or cotton as the main material.

They use the pedal loom, locally called pangablan; employ several weaving techniques; and have numerous designs/patterns. Different weaving techniques include the basic plain weave, the double-toned basket weave or binakul, and the multi-heddle weave (binetwagan or tinumballitan), among others. 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.

BONTOC WEAVE, Bontoc

The Bontoc textile revolves around the idea of centeredness, which symbolises 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.

KALINGA TEXTILES, Kalinga

The Kalinga textiles exhibit motifs executed as though they are embedded in the geometry of weaving itself. It has a distinct dialogue between red and blue, expressing itself in broad red and blue bands of plain or twill weave, and creating densely-composed groups of tight stripes.

The Kalinga weavers, particularly in the upper Kalinga area, put textures on the striped bands using twill-weave technique. Tiny motifs, patterns, and embellishments have characterized Kalinga textile, including miniature lattice, continuous lozenge pattern locally called inata-ata, and pawekan or mother-of-pearl platelets, among others.

PIÑA, Aklanon

Considered the finest of Philippine textiles, the piña fabric is made from the fibers of the leaves of the red Bisaya pineapple through an arduous process. The extraction of the fibers is a most delicate and tedious process.

The leaves provides 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.

PIS SYABIT WEAVE, Tausug

The Tausug women are experts in tapestry weaving and embroidery, while men do the large hanings in appliqué. They specialist in the production of pis syabit (head scarf) and kambot/kandit.

The pis syabit is traditionally worn by men and warriors. A most complicated design 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 colored 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 colors.

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Indigenous Philippine Arts

Indigenous Creative Arts are made by the indigenous peoples of the Philippines. It includes works in raw materials such as extract from trees, fruits, and vegetables. Some of the art treasure of the Philippines is found in rock in caves, trees and woods.

Indigenous crafts are produced by artisans, either completely by hand, or with the help of hand tools or even mechanical means, as long as the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the most substantial component of the finished product.  It is produced without restriction in the terms of quantity and using raw materials from sustainable resources.

It is imperative to pass on information to preserve our culture.

IMPORTANCE OF INDIGENOUS ARTS

Indigenous arts contribute a sense of comfort and belonging. It reinforces values such as freedom, faith, integrity, a good education, personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, and the value of being selfless. It provides a forum to showcase role models and celebrate the things that really matter in life. It offers a chance to say “thank you” for the contribution that someone has made. Indigenous arts enables us to showcase the principles of our Founding Fathers, celebrate diversity, and unite as a country. It serves as an avenue for creating lasting memories for our families and friends. And it offers an excellent context for meaningful pause and reflection.

Inukit, Hinulma, Nilikha

Sculpture is a three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials, typically stone such as marble, metal, glass, or wood, or plastic materials such as clay, textiles, polymers and softer materials.

Carving - subtractive process

Modeling - additive process

Casting - complex process begins with a production of negative mold

Fabrication - additive process, employs any method of joining or fastening, builds form piece by piece

Putik at Papel

Pottery are objects that are first shaped of wet clay, then hardened by baking. Pottery includes both decorative and practical items such as bowls, vases, dishes, and lamps. Pottery in the Philippines varies in forms and functions. The forms of the pots are directly influenced by the functions of the pots and the tradition of the community.

Paper mache is a substance made of pulped paper or paper pulp mixed with glue and other materials or of layers of paper glued and pressed together, molded when moist to form various articles, and becoming hard and strong when dry.

Hinabing Lakas

Weaving means to make cloth and other objects. Threads or strands of material are passed under and over each other. Weaving in the Philippines has different forms, functions and materials. They also vary in design and techniques used. Most of the common forms of weaving in the Philippines are in the form of hats, mats, bags, baskets and textiles (clothes and blankets).