by Ricardo Jorge S. Caluen
I never tarry in travelling to the Islamic City of Marawi whenever the opportunity arises.
I’ve loved the place since my first trip there as a little child in the early 1960s when the older generation of Iliganons still referred to it as Dansalan.
My Mom’s cousin—the late Dr. Oscar S. Fudalan, Sr.—practiced medicine there. His wife, my Auntie Bianing, was a midwife who delivered many Meranaw babies into this world during their stay in this summer capital of the Philippines in the South. We’d drive over for birthday celebrations in Uncle Oscar’s family.
Travel took more than an hour over the muddy and cratered highway, further slowed down by thick fog that settled at certain times of the day. We were amply warned to avoid hitting any animal—not even a chicken– else we would pay blood money (mag bayad sa kamingaw—imitating a Meranaw accent). I’m sure this was just another stereotype ingrained in the psyche of Mindanaoans across generations of prejudice.
The changing soil coloration signals the ascent to Marawi’s 700-meter elevation: dark in the Iligan side to orange-reddish starting in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte. Hills and mountains frame an area that witnessed so much history from since the time of Sultan Kudarat down to Datu Amai Pakpak, Gov. General Ramon Blanco, Gen. John J. Pershing, and through the struggle for Bangsamoro autonomy.
Of course, of more recent memory is the infamous Marawi Siege (2017) where “Ground Zero” has entered the vocabulary about the area, a sad memento that has eclipsed “Kilometer Zero”, the once proud signage that announced the spot where Mindanao distances are reckoned from.
Yes, all roads in Mindanao start in Marawi.
It was against this backdrop that I visited the city last July 16-18 to observe a workshop my friend Chris Gomez was conducting at the behest of the Tourism Office.
Obviously, Marawi is no longer the mysterious city of my childhood. But, the sight of bombed out edifices and well-known sites like the residence and resting place of Senator Domocao Alonto, Father of the Mindanao State University, leaves one with an eerie chill.
For three days, Chris met with veteran weavers particularly of langkit. Chris was to demonstrate to the womenfolk there’s more that could be done with the langkit beyond being used as bookmarks, straps, necklaces or, more popularly, as table runners.
Woven or sometimes embroidered, langkit is the colorful strip of tapestry commonly used to join pieces of fabric to create a single, broader section of malong landap, the traditional tubular garment of the Meranaw.
Some examples of traditional, modern and antique Langkit courtesy of Cecile Mambuay.
Word that a large inventory of langkit was just lying around in individual households or headquarters of women’s cooperatives in Marawi City and nearby towns has reached City Hall. Tourism Operations Supervisor Princess Tarhata P. Mangotara saw the workshop as an opportunity not only to address a marketing challenge but also to use the traditional weaving industry as a platform for tourism promotion.
“I am very proud of my Meranaw culture and the artistry it has spawned. The langkit is such a beautiful creation and it deserves to be showcased and promoted,” said Ms. Mangotara. “In so doing, we pay tribute to Meranaw womenfolk. I find inspiration in my beloved “Ina”, my maternal grandmother, who was proud of her native dress—the malong—that she always wore with dignity whether in formal occasions or just shopping in the mall.
Beautiful, statuesque, and articulate, Marawi’s Tourism officer is the namesake of Princess Tarhata Alonto who passed away in 2021. She was the daughter of Senator Alauya Alonto, Sultan-sa-Ramain. A trailblazer in many respects, Princess Tarhata became the first woman Governor of Lanao del Sur. Her husband was the late Marcos Sr. Oppositionist Congressman Rashid Lucman. Their daughter Normallah Lucman is the mother of the younger Princess Tarhata.
Last year, Marawi LGU sponsored the first-ever langkit festival and competition.
Saadera “Dida” Shiek Basmala has been weaving since she was around 8 years old. Now in her 60s, she says she is very grateful to Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra that City Hall has undertaken the project, a validation that the Mayor believes langkit-weaving is a tradition worth keeping and promoting.
Dida’s fine craftsmanship and a lifetime of langkit-weaving and handing down of the tradition are well-acknowledged by her peers. There is talk she is being eyed for the Gawad para sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA), the Philippines’ “Living Treasure” award.
Princess Tarhata echoes the same sentiment about Mayor Gandamra saying her office did not have to work hard to convince the Mayor the langkit festival was worth organizing because he is advocating for heritage preservation himself. She also acknowledged the encouragement coming from the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (BCPCH) through the office of Lanao Commissioner Robert Maulana Alonto.
Meranaw langkit weavers prefer the backstrap loom. The weaver selects thread colors with the final pattern in mind. The thread is rolled into separate spools or balls. Then, the thread is layered according to design on the warp board and carefully transferred to the backstrap loom. One end of the loom is tied to a post, and the weaver sits on the floor with legs straight in front of her. The other end of the loom is wrapped around her back, allowing her to increase or decrease tension by moving forward or backward.
At 35 years old, Mohaima A. Socrie was possibly the youngest weaver at the workshop. She started weaving quite “late” at age 16. I noticed some of her langkit patterns were not familiar. Mohaima said she wants to experiment with patterns so she won’t get bored with too much repetition. A public school teacher by profession, Mohaima says she’s gained much confidence in her skills she could chat with friends on the phone or even watch TV while weaving.
Sixty-five year old Saadia S. Abdulrahman confirms that unlike other communities, Meranaw weavers are not constrained to repeating traditional patterns.
“I personally like to experiment with patterns myself because I find the exercise challenging,” says the leader of the Dayawan Loom Weaving Producers Cooperative. “However, in line with certain Islamic proscription, there are patterns that we refrain from using like those of images of large animals,” Saadia adds.
Princess Tarhata earlier pointed out certain colors—like gold or yellow—are the preserve of royalty or nobility. She learned this from her “Ina”. One participant said they would much prefer that the langkit is never used where it touches the ground.
Photos courtesy of Cecile Mambuay.
Popular langkit patterns include potiok (bud), dapal or raon (leaf), katorai (flower), pako or piako (fern), pako rabong (growing fern), mayan sa palaw (mountain-like), biabak (frog), and the sarimanok, the fowl of fable. The trained eye one could make out the tinaburo (diamond shaped) and tuwak-tuwak (triangle or staircase pattern). Depending on one’s level of experience, a seasoned weaver could finish a meter-long langkit in a day.
Chris Gomez’s Panulong Bag won him the Grand Prize in the Habi Kadayawan 2023 Fashion Accessories Commercial Category (photos courtesy of Chris Gomez Industrial Design Services)
The workshop organizers couldn’t have chosen a more qualified resource person than Chris Gomez. A native of Iligan City, Chris is possibly the only graduate of the Design Center Philippines (2017, Masterclass of Design Professional) from Mindanao who is active in the profession and winning awards and recognition for it.
His first major break came in 2012 when he was awarded the Grand Prize, Metrobank Arts & Design Excellence. In 2015 Chris received the Award of Excellence from the China Asean Creativity Competition. He bagged the Grand Prize, 2023 Habi Kadayawan Design Competition. The Metrobank Foundation regularly monitors the achievements of past awardees. Chris was given the 2024 Award for Continuing Excellence (ACES).
Bags and accessories carrying Chromez Industrial Design Services label share the closet with signature items belonging to some of the most droppable names in the Philippines.
Through his many awards and successful curatorial and design projects Chris has not forgotten to pay forward, engaging himself in advocacy work for regional creativity, envisioning Mindanao as a vibrant center for artistic expression and economic growth.
Chris Gomez art piece fashion accessories at Manila F.A.M.E. International, a bi-annual trade show organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) the export promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Come August 14, Marawi City LGU will be holding another langkit exhibit, this time showcasing the work of the July design workshop participants. Princess Tarhata will have her hands full again. But she will not find the task daunting. She had pulled off like projects before for the National Cinematheque—the Film Development Council of the Philippines—when she was the coordinator for Lanao del Sur.
As for me, I am prouder now to wear my barong with a handwoven langkit sewn across it knowing all the love and pride that came with it.
-30-
About the author:
Ricardo Jorge S. Caluen graduated with a degree on Political Science, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines (1977). He pursued his MA in History, with specialist training in International Relations, at the University of Toronto (1987-88, under the Rotary Foundation Scholarship Program). He is the Former Chairman, Dept. of Political Science, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines. and Past President, Philippine Press Club of Ontario.
