LAGAWE, IFUGAO – – So many things can happen in the next eight years for 92-year-old Gayen Dulnuan of barangay Amduntug in Asipulo town of Ifugao that may be good for the public.
By 2026, Dulnuan would already be a centenarian and people need to know at this point what her impact was to other people who should recognize her incredibly superb mastery of strap-on cotton weaving.
Kins and relatives of Mrs. Dulnuan told recently the ZigZag Weekly that the relatively little-known weaving style needs a lot of support from the public and private sector to further promote it in the coming years.
Indeed, the time has truly come to retell the story of a great weaving mode in this upland Cordillera province.
In brief, during a demonstration by Mrs. Dulnuan at her house in the said village, she showed the importance of interrelated phases of the strap-on cotton weaving.
One of her kin expressed his sense of what happened several years back when this weaving mode was at its peak. “It was a time to be happy since our beloved Gayen gave the people a reason to be proud of our culture,” he said. That’s the best time of history, in gist.
Because of the simplicity of devising tools for the craft while extensively using indigenous materials, Asipulo became popularly known for its weaving industry a few decades back.
There was heightened interest on strap-on cotton weaving in the 1980s. As years went by, however, interest waned.
A glimpse of what occurred in the process of perfecting the age-old strap-on cotton weaving is a must-review action now. It starts with planting the seeds of cotton at huge farm lots or even at a house backyard. A little later cotton is harvested. The drying phase takes place shortly. The succeeding phases include spinning, threading and warping. The use of dyes is an option.
Many are thrilled to welcome any or all efforts to invigorate the interest in strap-on cotton weaving in Ifugao. Thanks to Mother Gayen, as she is fondly called by many here, who worked exceptionally hard to make this a reality. Several leaders in the private sector are confident the Ifugao folk are going to embrace it too close to their hearts.
This scribe spent nearly four hours at Mother Gayen’s household for an exclusive interview as well as rare demonstration of strap-on cotton weaving which has strong roots in this scenic town.
A son, in a convincing tone, asked this scribe to try spinning the thread for a couple of minutes for a first-hand experience of the “real thing.” “It’s good to give it a try,” I recalled telling him. Admittedly, “I need a lot of time to learn it,” I added later.
Henceforth, this scribe is so proud to tell the story of Mother Gayen through the unique content and coverage the ZigZag Weekly provides in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
This scribe also collected insights and gave recommendations on how to further spur the town’s promising industry with regards to cotton crop production. Perhaps, other Ifugao towns are still hard pressed to catch up or level up with Asipulo’s mark.
This scribe also had the chance to talk to other household members and visitors, and they were describing the “great contributions” of Mother Gayen in Ifugao history. Everyone was so proud of her role.
Ifugao is such an important place for the study of the distinct culture in the Cordilleras and couldn’t be happier to find a well-meaning partner in the Ifugao Cultural, Educational, Scientific and Community Development Center (ICESCDCI), Inc., a nongovernment organization based in Lagawe. Already, it has many initiatives planned to promote ethnic weaving in the province. It is headed by Mariflor Capuyan.
This is an affirmation that the ICESCDCI is on the right track in realizing its goal of promoting the province’s culture.
The ICESCDCI is an organization many have long admired and they share its vision, mission and values.
The ICESCDCI remains steadfast and faithful to do its avowed goal and the values that it holds.
There are indeed bright hopes for strap-on cotton weaving, in particular, and the cotton industry, in general, in this part of the province. At the end of the day, the government will benefit from having a robust economy in Ifugao. Ifugao is still one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.
There is a pressing need to encourage municipal and provincial officials to explore partnership opportunities that can easily promote economic and social growth in Ifugao.
As backing from the private sector mounts, concerned residents believe it’s just a matter of time before advocates of Ifugao culture begin to understand and appreciate the conduct of a Weavers Fair in the province. A lot of firms in the said sector are already talking to this scribe about the best ways to hold one.
Speaking to ZigZag Weekly, a teacher of Banaue Central School said there are still a good number of Ifugao educators who are “getting connected to the role of weaving in society.” Even if they are but a few mentors, these educators in public and private schools are determined to scale new heights of economic and social success. Make no mistake of their determination to achieve this goal.
The popularity of weaving in Ifugao is due to the fact that the province, particularly in Asipulo, Banaue, Kiangan and Lamut towns, has some of the best weavers in the world.
The rest of the task of holding the Weavers Fair will appear smoother after considering the aforementioned fact. Small wonder, the ICESCDCI is becoming bullish with its prospects in Asipulo, where most barangays are very depressed and underdeveloped.
“This is particularly challenging since we will be able to significantly uplift the conditions of the people in these impoverished communities as we have been able to do in our other projects,” Capuyan said.
This is the spirit of leader NGOs and people’s organizations (POs) in Metro Manila and Mindanao that have flourished, and this is the same spirit that ICESCDCI’s leadership for quite some time has taken to heart.
The most important piece of advice in the heels of this development for most Ifugao government officials turns out to be rather simple: Do not just plan projects. Implement them. There’s a lot of planning and no development at all. Venture out of the capital town of Lagawe, to the far-flung villages, for instance in Hungduan, Mayoyao and Tinoc towns, and mingle with the ordinary people.
In relation to this, a number of residents here are pressing for immediate completion of road repairs and upgrades.
Asipulo’s largely mountainous roads are one of the toughest environments to test one’s nerve in driving.
This scribe believes that the future will need better, well-paved and all-weather roads to transport Asipulo’s cotton and other agricultural crops to the lowlands.
When this scribe arrived at the house of Mother Gayen, several cotton trees dotted her small but tidy lot and seemingly greeted a visitor with a feeling of warmth and good tidings of prosperity. No need to search for the pot of gold. The house itself is also famous for its relics from the past.
Cotton farmers are surely strong drivers for Ifugao’s much-cherished dream for growth in the future. Time for the government to finally wake up and do its duty and obligation for their sake. **By Anthony A. Araos
