Okir Art Exhibit 2026
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The recently concluded 2nd Okir Art Exhibit held at a local mall has further reinforced the growing popularity of the Meranaws of Lanao del Sur unique art form.
Okir is a distinctive geometric and flowing design style from the Southern Philippines, particularly among the Iranaon peoples (Meranaw, Maguindanao, and Iranun) featuring intricate plant-inspired motifs like vines, leaves and folk figures like the Sarimanok and Naga traditionally used in carving, weaving, and painting on wood, metal, and textiles.
It is usually found in the torogans (royal residences), tapestries, wooden chests, gongs, brassware, and the grip, guard, pommel, and scabbard of traditional blades like the kampilan, kris, and gunong.
It’s a significant cultural expression, with distinct male (Okir-a-dato, curvilinear) and female (Okir-a-bai, geometric) forms, showcasing the indigenous originality and skill of the Meranaw people, reflecting their distinct culture and identity.
Okir remains a vital part of Filipino cultural heritage, with ongoing efforts to promote it and encourage younger generations to learn the craft, as it faces threats from modern influences.
Modernization vs Tradition
During the recent 3-day exhibit, I had the chance to interview leading artists and artisans about the encroachment of modern technology on their traditional okir crafts.
Edris Tamano, an Okir artist, architect, and cultural advocate whose works highlights the significance and intricacies of Meranaw Okir design, said modernization has definitely seeped into the traditional construction methods like their Torogan.
“For our traditional Torogan, instead of using the usual wooden joinery, they are now using bolts and nails. Like for example the Torogan in Iligan City, the traditional wooden posts have been replaced by concrete. However, they still simulated the wood with wood grain finishes which looks like wood from a distance. Even the beams and girders have now been replaced with concrete.”
He attributes the acculturation of modern construction methods since the traditional wooden carpenters and artisans have mostly died out or have moved out to greener pastures.
“Thus, these days it’s hard to find the original classic okir designs. The okir they now use are called by some as mestizo. For one component we call armalis, we have the pako, the dapal, and the todi. When they build now, they only use the pako and the todi, and skip the other parts of the okir,” Tamano laments.
Three examples of the Okir illustrated in paintings by Edris Tamano. (RMB)
In the context of traditional Maranao architecture, armalis refers to a specific, asymmetrical motif used in the woodcarving (okir) decorations of a torogan (the royal house of the Meranaws). It is described as an asymmetrical growing fern pattern which is part of the intricate okir carvings found on the panolong, which are the prominent, flared, and carved floor beams that protrude from the front and sides of the torogan.
Along with other patterns like the naga (sea dragon) or sarimanok (mythical bird), the armalis motif contributes to the overall aesthetic that makes the torogan appear to be floating, often compared to a royal vessel. The torogan itself is a symbol of high social status, power, and leadership, usually belonging to a datu or sultan.
Tamano also attributes the gradual erosion of the traditional okir to the lack of its proper documentation as an art form and philosophy, which could have served to preserve its practice and culture, especially for those learning the building trades. Although Tamano has already written a book about the Okir, its origins and philosophy that has made it an integral part of the Meranaw Heritage and Culture, he still has to find a publisher to date.
Traditional Tapestries
Another renowned Okir artworks of the Meranaw are their tapestries and ceremonial umbrellas which are festooned with beads and sequins such as the Mamandiyang, Ampas, and Payong o Diyakatan.
Some examples of the Meranaw Ampas and Mamandiyang by Pendocina Omar of the Raheemah Peace Weevers Cooperative.
The Mamandiyang is a sequin decorated tapestry most often seen in Torogans, weddings, and enthronement which lend a regal air to these events. The Ampas are beaded fringes used in the Pagana Meranaw (traditional feast) usually colored yellow, shaped in round, square or star forms, and adorned with beads and sequins used to cover ceremonial food trays (tabak). Not the least, the ceremonial Payong o Diyakatan is a ceremonial parasol decorated with embroidery, tassels, sequins and beads, symbolizing power and prestige, especially during enthronements. It is also used in traditional Meranaw dances such as the world famous Singkil.
Pendocina Omar, a Meranaw traditional beader masterfully skilled in hand-sewing beads and sequins for these tapestries, is a member and officer of three women’s cooperatives which produce excellent examples of fine entirely hand sewn traditional Meranaw tapestries, made with beads and sequins such as the Mamandiyang, Ampas, and Payong o Diyakatan.
She said they definitely cannot use sewing or similar machines to produce their products which have to be sewn entirely by hand, except for hemming their tapestries. A skilled Mamandiyang maker usually takes two months to finish the 17-meter tapestry, which are sold for a mere P10,000.00 for two months work. A Diyakatan usually takes 20 days to produce (10 days if rush) but again only retails for P8,000.00.
The vast difference between local prices was best illustrated by Ms. Omar who once produced a Mamandiyang for a customer when she was still working in Saudi Arabia that sold for 10,000 riyals, or P156,000 at the current exchange rate of P15.60 to one Saudi Riyal.
Keeping the Spirit of Okir
But perhaps the dilemma of adopting modern technology to produce Okir-embellished Meranaw artworks is best described by Lantong Pangcoga, a Master Artisan skilled in the carving of traditional Meranaw Okir art forms such as the Baur, Gador, Lotoan, and Panulong.
While he already uses modern power tools such as the table saw, planer, lathe, and grinder in his workshop at Tugaya, Lanao de Sur to basically prepare his raw materials, he and his workers continue to carve and inlay their exquisite wooden artworks entirely by hand.
“Carving the wood and installing the shell inlays require years of practice to perfect by hand, and cannot be mechanized,” Pangcoga stressed.
Although there are already computer controlled power tools that can do their work faster and cheaper, he is apprehensive this would ultimately lead to the deterioration and eventual disappearance of their wood carving and inlaying skills.
Traditional Meranaw Mother of pearl inlaid wooden gadors, frames, chess sets, and blades hand made with Okir motifs by Lantong Pangcoga of LN Collectible Handicraft of Tugaya, Lanao del Sur.
(Photos courtesy of the Lanao del Sur Tourism Public Information)
“We will not only lose our skill to carve and inlay if we use machines, but even more important, we will lose the spirit of Okir, which is the culture and heritage of our people,” he cautions.
Lantong Pangcoga has been nominated for the prestigious Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) or National Living Treasures Award, the highest state honor given to a Filipino in recognition of his outstanding work as a traditional folk artist.
A recipient of the National Living Treasure or Manlilikha ng Bayan is “a Filipino citizen or group of Filipino citizens engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino, whose distinctive skills have reached such a high level of technical and artistic excellence, and have been passed on to and widely practiced by the present generations in their community with the same degree of technical and artistic competence.”
Indeed, Master Lantong isn’t just a skilled Okir Artisan, but has also been mentoring younger Meranaws in the art under the School of Living Traditions (SLT) championed by the Bangsamoro Commission on the Preservation of Cultural Heritage of Lanao del Sur (BCPCH-Lanao de l Sur)
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