TEXTILE 101
CORDILLERA WEAVES
In the Cordillera, textiles are made mostly with the back-strap loom, which takes a special skill due to its intricate design. The weavers' artistry is shown as they apply the principles of geometry, symmetry and mathematics all in the back of their minds as they weave. Kalinga textiles have a more dense and sturdy texture of the weaving than other textiles in the Philippines. The Silambituwon, shown below, is one of the textiles that is put together with the back-strap loom.
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Lilabey x Silambituwon |
Silambituwon Black |
SIlambituwon Red |
The motif of the Silambituwon textile resembles a "bituwon" or bituin in Tagalog. The geometric hexagon pattern is originally assigned for the Kachangyan or the noble families as a symbol of power and authority. It was used as a canopy during bodong (peace pact) celebrations and other festivities and was worn as a noble man's cape or "pakos." It represents one of the four meaningful gifts (beads, blanket, porcelain and chicken) given to the first born child during "atod," a ritual carried out for the first born child bestowed by the father's blood line.
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From the word "lagtob" which means "one after the other," this textiles showcases the eye design or the "inammata" design of the Ga'dang tribe used to avert the evil spirits. The Lilagtob is worn during festivities and is also given as a community token or "lilay" to the partner-tribe Binodngan after a "bodong" celebration (peace pact.) |
| Lilagtob |
| The Silak-sakaw design resembles a "sakaw" or a crisscrossed wall mounted bamboo dish rack. This textile was used as a "pokos" (man's cape), canopy during a "bodong" (peace pact) and "oben" (blanket sling or baby carrier). |  |
| Silak-sakaw |
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The Silukwit Textile is named after the design of the fabric itself. It is described to have a hooked weaving style or "sinungkit" design. |
| Silukwit |
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| Lilabey Purple | Lilabey Yellow | Lilabey x Silambituwon |
The Lilabey textile is derived from the word "labey" which means "dirty white." In the past, widows used this as a cloak or "sakkuchang" indicating a one month period of mourning after the burial. This textile was also used as a baby carrier and canopy bodong (peace pact) celebrations and other festivities.
ABRA WEAVES
Abra is known for its abel weaving; their distinct traditional weaving style is what distinguishes their work with Ilocos' abel. The Binakul textile is a variation of the abel. With its whirlpool kusikos pattern, it is often recognized as a "op-art" for its uniform, interlocking geometric patterns created by its dizzying designs that is said to represent the waves of the sea. Ancient tribes believe that this pattern protected them from malevolent spirits.
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| Binakul |
Weaving in the Philippines is not just a source of livelihood, it also serves as an essential part of our culture and heritage as Filipinos. Unfortunately, due to the lack of raw materials and weavers, it is slowly becoming a dying practice. That is why it is important to provide opportunities for our local weavers to create a weaving cycle, involving them and local enablers to reconstruct the Philippine weaving industry. So let us treasure what we have left of our identity as Filipinos, from textiles to the communities that contribute a huge part of our tradition and culture as a race.