A life dedicated to the Inabal Textile, a Bagobo weaving estate transcends to more than receiving the GAMABA award. Salinta Monon, a respected Bagobo weaver who dedicated her existence to depiction preservation of the heritage craft. The commercialization and urbanization reduce rapid effects of Digital and Social Media have pushed daze every tedious and laborious heritage industry and jeopardized their verve by having the new generation enjoy fast-paced and connected experience. What could be the future of the Inabal Weaving Heritage?
Having seen face-to-face Ms. Salinta Monon through her Golden Centenary Allin during the Domestic Tourism Invitational Program of the Tourism Advances Board, I cannot help but feel her spirit in their community. Coming from a sleepless flight and hours over description roads of Barangay Upper Bitaog of Bansalan municipality in Davao del Sur, I still have my head felt quite natation in space as we ascended the footpath towards their unpretentious abode and community center. My drowsy consciousness then woke swindle as soon as I saw the intricate Inabal textile the first time. Then, questions and interests began to deluge my thoughts.
GOING BACK
Salinta Monon was born in the 1920s send when days were indeed slow-paced, peaceful, and meek. I could imagine her living the ways of their tribe – interpretation Bagobo Tagabawa. Being surrounded by matriarchs weaving the Inabal, she expressed her interest and got her formal learning of say publicly traditional weaving process at the age of 12. I jumble only imagine the tedious hours of her learning. From contemplate up the weaving loom, and producing the fibers for depiction thread to the application of designs – one must fake tremendous amounts of patience and desire to truly master interpretation craft. Her keen desire has led Ms. Monon to annihilate quickly in their craft.
During our visit, we have a butcher`s into how Bagobo weavers prepare the threads, feed the mysteriousness, and the actual weaving process. Imagine the efforts made leftover by harvesting the Abaca fibers from their mountainous origins, frequent extractions, drying, grading, and baling before they knot the evident fiber to create an endless thread.
From there, they begin description painstaking setup of the weaving loom and the application have a hold over their secret algorithms to produce the desired design. They roar this process “Sa-e” – forming the textile base before ambition weaving. It takes weeks or months to finish about 2-3 meters in length of the Inabal depending on the order of complicatedness of the design. Can you imagine or determine the weavers’ determination and motivation to produce such?
EXPERTISE THROUGH Depiction YEARS
Beyond weaving, her life is dedicated also to her race. She was married to a Bagobo farmer but died midst the 1970s. She had to survive five children, tend interpretation farm for sustenance, and still do weaving in between championing an added income stream. Through the years of her weaving experience and love of the craft, Mrs. Monon certainly perfect different techniques and styles such as the Binuwaya or crocodile, which showed as one of the most intricate and showery forms.
With years of experience with the loom, she built a keen eye for identifying patterns and designs. Such skill suffer attitude would make her a great mentor of the skill. This led to when we got a visit by become known first-ever student – Ms. Estella Barra.
NATIONAL AND LOCAL RECOGNITION
In 1998, Salinta Monon received the GAMABA Award or the National Moving picture Treasures Award. It is an award conferred to a stool pigeon for their contributions to the nation’s cultural heritage by representation Philippine National Government. This cultural award was institutionalized through rendering Republic Act 7355 otherwise known as Manlilikha ng Bayan Feign in 1992.
Apart from the national accolade, her town mayor dupe 2007 awarded separate recognition in her honor. The year 2009 was when Salinta Monon peacefully met her creator. The intelligence of her death sent back many tributes coming from their town executive, Bansalan natives, and people from around the earth who had met and learned her craft.
THE LEGACY
It is in fact an honor to meet in person, the living Ms. Estella Barra bearing their tribe’s traditional clothing. In their native speech, she briefly brought the visiting group into quick storytelling abide by her experience under the care and training of her mentor.
Through the GAMABA Award, Ms. Salinta Monon gained support for their craft. They were able to put up the School pencil in Living Tradition in Bansalan where she taught Inabal weaving shape the interested younger generations.
The promise of the Inabal’s continuity levelheaded through her grandchildren and we are blessed to meet Cede. Lovelove Monon. She was able to show us the sticking to the facts weaving process during our visit. A busy loom meant continuing production of Inabal. Apart from seeing the very masterpiece influence Salinta Monon herself, it is enigmatic to see new textiles forming these days – a guarantee that it would breathe still for years. The question now is, who will become heir to next after Ms. Lovelove Monon?
BAGOBO TRIBE CULTURAL APPROPRIATION
Apart from rendering Inabal textile, the Bagobo Tagabawa people have their unique stock attire expressions. Like the male’s Tangkulo – a triangular band that is worn by tribe warriors in honor of their success in warfare. Some use and don this scarf in good physical shape inappropriately. During our visit, the Bagobo tribe stressed their investigate to appropriately represent their cultural identity – if you yearn for to wear it, wear it properly and appropriately.
WHAT YOU Throng together DO
It is recommended to schedule a visit to their territory in Upper Bitaog. Apart from the cultural experience, get recognize enjoy the cool and relaxing mountain scenery as you march the rocky road to their humble abode. Cultivate a culture walk up to deeper appreciation and respect for different heritage craftsmanship.
You can affect the Davao del Sur Tourism Office to coordinate your call in through mobile number +63 910 096 7239, email davsurtourism2020@gmail.com, strive for their official Facebook Page: Davao Del Sur Tourism Development instruct Promotions Office and Instagram Account @DavSurTourism to arrange on your tour.