Key Points
- Weaving is associated as women's work because it is an activity that is done inside the home.
- The weaving process involves both men and women, from creating the loom to creating patterns.
- Weaving is a complicated process, it requires precision and a lot of mathematical calculations.
Ana Maria Theresa P Labrador, PhD is currently a honorary visiting fellow at The Griwmwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at the University of Melbourne, she says weaving has been generally associated as women’s work because ‘generally, women do the weaving inside their homes. Most often, work done from inside the home isn’t given as much value as the paid work men do outside the home.’
Ana Maria Theresa P . Labrador, PhD is a Honorary Senior Fellow at The Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at the University of Melbourne. Credit: supplied by A Labrador
She argues that first and foremost, we should change the way we value unpaid work. ‘Since weaving is done inside the home, many see it as a hobby something to fill the time in between chores’. However, the Social Anthropologist and Museologist explains, ‘if you look into the weaving process, you’ll find it is a complicated process. We don’t give as much value as it deserves, and it is commonly reflected when people haggle for discounts in purchasing the finished product. But if you take Australia for example, labour is very expensive. We should give greater value to products done intricately by hand’.
More than just loom and thread
Weaving is more complicated than you think, ‘there is Math involved, and most women innovate and incorporate designs from nearby communities or regions. This is what we call living tradition. There are areas that do not have textile weaving but mat weaving. All home based’.
Mariyam Sapie is a Yakan Weaver. 'In Yakan weaving history, the most articulate of Yakan weavers, in the past, came from Paguengan... It was from these family of weavers, the sophisticated techniques of suwah bekkat (cross-stitch like embellishment) and suwah pendan (embroidery-like embellishment) were executed in the bunga-sama. Thus, resulting in the embossed motifs on the warp. There were certain motifs that were identified only to the weavers from Paguengan.' - Earl Pasilan, Culture Researcher Credit: Gabriel Malvar, Project Larawan: Profiles of the Filipino. One portrait at a time.
Popularity of ready to wear
For a period, with the accessibility of ready to wear clothing, weaving became less and less popular. ‘Our colonization also changed our thinking, with the mass production of ready to wear clothing, we were made to think they were a cheaper option and more durable’.
Revival of weaving and locally made products
The past decade has witnessed a revival of Philippine made products, from bags to clothing and household items. Labrador, says the support and push from the government sector played an important role in its resurgence. During her term as Deputy Director for National Museum of the Philippines, Labrador says exhibits played a key role in helping Filipinos understand the process and significance of locally made products. ‘We made sure that exhibitions of international calibre were executed to show the beauty of our products. No matter how small the product, we needed to highlight it’s value and beauty.’
Dr Ana Labrador also explains the consumer must also be given a glimpse of the weaver, the story behind the product. ‘At one time, the National Museum brought the pina-seda exhibit into 16 destinations. The exhibit also included the weavers, the embroiders from Antique and Aklan. Technology also enabled us to pack the foot loom as we travelled around the country.’
There are many initiatives that extended support from business to local communities such as; the one town, one product initiative.
Understanding the process and learning about the people behind the product was important. ‘We conducted workshops and afterwards people would say we’d no longer ask for discounts, we didn’t realize it was such a complicated process’
The Social Anthropologist explains that we should also remember that weaving is a family activity ‘from setting up the looms and threads. We should look at it as not just an individual activity but in supporting local products we support an entire family, community.’
Overseas Filipinos support and reconnecting to identity
As Filipino diaspora continue to grow around the globe, many Filipinos are slowly reconnecting to their identity by supporting Philippine made products. Purchasing products made by Filipinos gives them a sense of pride ‘self-conscious awareness, there are many events around the globe that lead us to reconnect with who we are.’ explains Labrador.
'Documentation is essential to ensure we do not lose the authenticity of our weaving' Labrador on passing on traditional knowledge from one generation to the next Credit: SBS Filipino
How do we ensure that traditional weaving and other parts of our culture that are handed down from one generation to the next is able to maintain its authenticity? ‘That is where I come in, documentation is essential in keeping the details, process. The process in itself tells a story and if we are able to archive these important information, the next generation will be able to go back to them.’ As Labrador ends the conversation with optimism and hope.
