https://padlet.com/lucille_lacanienta/9u35yy26618a Reflection Paper on Weaving Padlet Dashboard/ Account for Lucille Gaco Lacanienta and her Fine Arts class en-us 2019-09-02 14:08:44 UTC 2024-07-14 08:37:38 UTC hello@padlet.com lucille_lacanienta https://padlet.com/lucille_lacanienta/9u35yy26618a/wish/379161286 On August 28, 2019, a talk about Tagolwanen Weaving was held in the University of Asia and the Pacific. The Tagolwanen Weaving, based on Malaybalay, Bukidnon in Mindanao, is mainly kept alive by the indigenous people/ lumads. The tribe, Bukidnon-Tagolwanen tribe,  which this art derived from is a peaceful and loving tribe that live by the Tagolwanen river. Based on the talk, the tribe have their own farming system and justice system, showing advancements despite their isolation (Guerra, Olivares and Tagolwanene WOomen Weavers Assocaition, 2019).

There are two types of Tagolwanen weavers, namely the "Manghahabol" and the "Maglalala." More than this, the skills and the art of weaving are taught from generations to generations in the family, generally focusing on mothers teaching daughters, as the Tagolwanen Weavers are women. The men in the tribe (as well as the children/sons in the family) also play a huge role in weaving by harvesting resources (solsol grass) used for weaving and cooking meals when activities with regards to ventures for preserving weaving take place. Weaving one mat (bag, hat, etc.) can take up to "1-3 weeks", depending on the degree of skills needed for the necessary design. It also takes a long walk from the mountain to the city in order to sell and there is discrimination and bullying against the lumads. It is a long and tedious process since it involves drying the grass and weaving during the coldest periods of the day (dawn), but what makes this a long process the most is the fact that it requires a certain level of expertise and skills in order to weave (Guerra, Olivares and Tagolwanene Women Weavers Assocaition, 2019).

The most common output from weaving is the "banig," which initially used for rituals/special occasions (weddings),as gifts, as bartering items, as currency for trade, and for cultural practices such as funerals. More importantly, the "banig" is an essential part of their culture and their everyday lives because they use it on a daily basis, serving various purposes. Although it is a huge part of their culture, it was discovered that is slowly dying due to lack of preservation of skills and of appreciation on the culture. This motivated the Tagolwanen Women Weavers Association (TWWA), which makes sure that while the weavers are making a living, they also abide to the customary principles which their tribe call as "Batasan." The organization identified the needs of these indigenous people and consequently, enforced institutions such as management and marketing goals like teaching weaving skills to the youth and many more (Guerra, Olivares and Tagolwanene WOomen Weavers Assocaition, 2019). It aims to preserve the traditions and culture of the Bukidnon-Tagolwanen tribe and as well as, empower the women and the people in the tribe to take pride in their own unique culture and its contribution to the arts.

As someone who has a soft spot for the indigenous people, I gave all my attention during the talk and because of that, I have learned a lot about the Tagolwanen weaving. I asked one of the speakers if the tribe find it hard to sustain themselves through this livelihood, but to my surprise and relief, they did not, as this art of weaving is slowly becoming appreciated by many, even in an international scale. Although the prices are high, it is important to take note that we are not just paying for a simple "banig," but we are paying for the skills of these people. We are paying for art that has been around for many years in a certain place, population and culture.

REFERENCE:
Guerra, G., Olivares, G. and Tagolwanene Women Weavers Assocaition (2019). Tagolwanen Banig: Reviving Usable Art, Preserving Tribe Culture.]]> 2019-09-02 14:12:35 UTC https://padlet.com/lucille_lacanienta/9u35yy26618a/wish/379161286