No time for games for Baler’s weavers

BALER, AURORA, Philippines—Lilia Buencamino watches a lot of noontime game shows on television while her hands weave magic of a different sort. Her fingers nimbly mesh thin straws of sabutan so fast and effortlessly that she hardly takes off her eyes from the TV.

After three hours, Buencamino can finish a one-and-a-half-meter circular mat or “banig.” In a day, she can finish three mats. They can be of one color or a spiral swirl of pastels.

Buencamino, who is in her 50s, has been weaving since she was eight. In her barangay in Pingit, she owns a thousand sabutan—a pandan-like plant that grows wild in the forests of Baler, Aurora—so she has no plans of retiring her weaving hands.

Unlike other communities with legacy crafts and arts that have seen their heydays, younger women in Baler carry on this town’s weaving heritage.

Annie de Leon of Barangay 3 is in her 20s, and she and her mother Julita weave mostly sabutan hats of different colors.

“Even my 8-year-old daughter already helps me in weaving,” says De Leon.

At the Pasalubong Center in Baler market, Leticia Abe sells all kinds of items woven from sabutan. She sells geometric flower vases for P50 each, and offers bags for up to P300 apiece. She also sells slippers, bags, fans, mats, runners, coasters, wallets, throw pillows, purses and wall decors.

Abe sells products made by 18 weavers.

In 2008, the group secured a loan of P420,000 which the members used to buy heavy-duty equipment for sewing and dyeing, Abe says.

Other groups have also organized themselves, foremost of which is Aurora Hats and Crafts owned by Annaliza Tangson.

Tangson started in 1991 with P6,000 and eight weavers. She is now exporting her produce to at least 10 countries and employs 300 weavers.

Another store in Barangay Reserva known as Abay’s Souvenirs also sells boxes made of colorful sabutan weaves. Other items include magazine racks, file holders and even tampipi, or woven rectangular bags.

Aurora province celebrated its 32nd foundation day on Feb. 19. During the Binibining Aurora beauty pageant, the candidates from different towns wore gowns made of sabutan.