CordiTex holds Workshop; boosts Cordillera weaving tradition

A master weaver from Bontoc assists a participant in using the back strap loom during the Agabel Tayo! Workshop. Photo from Museo Kordilyera Facebook Page.

CordiTex and Museo Kordilyera held a two-day Cordillera Weaving Workshop titled “Agabel Tayo!” on February 19 to 20, at Museo Kordilyera, UP Baguio. The event aimed to revive interest in weaving and pass down the tradition to people of all ages.

According to Analyn Salvador-Amores, the curator of the exhibit and project leader of CordiTex, the workshop was composed of four weaving categories that the participants must go through before “graduating.” The first level was the paper looming which introduced the basic concept of “warp and weft” (Warp is the horizontal line and weft is the vertical). Next was the table looming -- the process of interlocking the threads. After that, the participants did backstrap weaving. For the last step, the participants tried the foot loom located at the Museo Kordilyera Audio Visual Room (AVR).

“We want to revive the interest in weaving because our master weavers are already old. So, we need to transmit their knowledge. We target all ages -- the young, old, middle aged, men and women who are interested in weaving,” said Amores.

Around 60 participants including teachers, children, students, and the likes joined the workshop graced by master weavers from Bontoc

A Weaver’s Struggles

Catherine Domigyay, 51 years-old, shared the struggles of being a weaver for 45 years in Kan-ew, Bontoc. Domigyay said that they barely have profits from selling agabels - the term used for weaved products, as the market usually buys it at a low price.

“Kung minsan, as a weaver, okay lang kung yung individual ka na may mag-oorder ng private. Dahil pag dadalhin mo sa market, mura kasi ang kuha nila. Yun ang problema ng mga weavers,” Domigyay explained.

(Sometimes, as a weaver, it is okay if you are privately commissioned as an individual. Because if you sell it to the market, they buy it at a low price. That’s one of the problems of the weavers.)

Domigyay also expressed her sentiments about their income loss as they still have to shoulder the price of the threads needed for production. The weavers are left with no choice but to sell it, even if that means they only get 50 pesos as their profit.

“Bibilhin mo pa yung thread, eh mahal yung thread. Yung thread na first class, 375. Yung mga ibang thread 300 pesos or 320 … pero wala kang magawa, no choice, ibebenta mo rin. Kahit may 50 pesos ka lang na tubo,” Domigyay said.

(You still have to buy the expensive threads. The first class costs around 375 pesos while others are around 300-320 pesos. But we cannot do anything. We have no choice but to sell them. Even though you only have 50 pesos as your profit.)

However, Domigyay also added that the tradition of weaving is still actively practiced in their community.

“Sa amin, kahit nakapagtapos na, naghahabi rin. Pero pag may trabaho na sila, sa trabaho na sila. Mga estudyante rin, pag uwi na nila, naghahabi rin sila,” the weaver stated.

(In our place, even if they already graduated, they still weave. But if they already have jobs, then they have to work. Even students, when they get home, they weave as well.)

Continuation of Lineage and Tradition

Ides Macapanpan, a Fine Arts instructor at University of the Philippines Baguio, emphasized the importance of continuing this kind of tradition and practices.

“Mahalagang pag-aralan, i-practice, at tuloy-tuloy na buhayin ang kultura at tradisyon natin. Ang pag-aaral ng kultura at tradisyon, kabahagi nito ang lahi at lipi ng mga ninuno natin. Tuluyan ‘yang [kultura] mabubura pag nawala ‘yang mga yan [paghahabii],” Macapanpan said in an interview.

(It is important to know, practice, and continuously revive our culture and tradition. The study of culture and tradition is part of the race and lineage of our ancestors. It [culture] will complete vanish if it [weaving] gets forgotten.)

Macapanpan also recognized the wisdom and skills of our ancestors in establishing this practice despite not having formal education before.

“Narealize ko pa yung sobrang kagalingan nila. Kung paano naimbento ng mga ninuno natin, ‘yung ganong method, ‘yung ganong mga tools, ‘yung paggawa nung mismong pinaglalagyan ng mga sinulid. Tapos scientific yung methods nila. Noong panahon na iyon, wala namang mga schools. By practice, inaral talaga nila,” the instructor stated.

(I realized their expertise. How our ancestors invented those kinds of methods, tools, and even in making the holder of the threads. And their methods are also scientific. During those times, there were no schools. By practice, they really studied it.)

The instructor also hoped for traditional weaving to be integrated into basic education for students to experience and learn what the weavers actually do.

“Dinidiscuss siya sa mga klase, sinasabi lang na ito yung design, eto yung weaving, pero hindi ganon kalalim. Mahalaga, dahil may pagkakataon na makapag integrate, masubukan, at matutunan ‘yung ginagawa nila doon,” Macapanpan uttered.

(It is lightly discussed in class, introducing that these are the weaving designs, but never thoroughly explained. It is important to have opportunities to be able to integrate, experience, and learn what they really do.)

Igorot OFWs’ Longing

Cristina Cayat, a full Igorot working as a domestic worker and a fashion designer in Hong Kong, creates modern clothes that incorporates Cordilleran textiles.

“Baka pwede ko siyang gawin na parang normal lang na clothing. Para hindi kami mahiya na gamitin doon. Tapos, innovative na rin. So kasama siya sa normal na fabric, iincorporate lang siya sa ethnic,” Cayat said in an interview.

(I thought maybe I could make it look like normal clothing. So that we will not be ashamed of wearing it. And, it’s innovative. So it becomes a part of a normal fabric incorporated with ethic designs.)

The designer also narrated how Igorot Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) crave the feeling of wearing their ethnic attire.

“Tapos nakita ko yung parang, yung nag-cracrave yung mga Igorot na kasama ko. Marami po kami doon. So, parang nagccrave kami, na sana maisuot din namen,” the designer added.

(I saw a lot of my Igorot colleagues crave to wear our ethnic attire.)

Cayat wanted the younger generation to be mindful of using traditional prints as some of them are sacred and should not be used as mainstream designs.

“ ‘Yung mga old prints may mga meaning kasi yung mga iyon eh. Lalo na po sa Benguet, medyo reserved yung… paano gamitin, saan pwedeng gamitin. Pero ngayon dahil marami ng younger generations na gusto na magventure into this kind of work. Siguro, i-remind natin para mai-separate ‘yung mga sacred designs, na hindi pwedeng gamitin sa mga mainstream,” Cayat reminded.

(The old prints have meanings. Especially those from Benguet, since they are conservative in the usage of the prints. Since that there are a lot of younger generations who want to venture into this kind of work. It is important to remind them to separate the sacred designs and not to use them for mainstream purposes.)

By: Agatha Mateo and Valeri Joyce Nuval