As an annual tradition, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) releases its wall calendar to promote Filipino culture. This year, the NCCA calendar pays tribute to Magdalena Gamayo, an Ilocano textile weaver celebrating her birth centennial in 2024.
Gamayo, born on Aug. 13, 1924, is considered a master weaver of various textiles—a traditional craft among the Ilocano people in the Ilocos Region of northwest Luzon. Commonly known as "abel" or "inabel," these Ilocano terms generally refer to weave or something woven. This tradition endures today, evolving into a vibrant industry deeply rooted in heritage and folk artistry.
Weavers employ various techniques, including plain weave, binakol, pinilian, binetwagan or tinumballitian, kundiman, and impalagto, to create diverse designs and patterns inspired by their surroundings and everyday objects like flowers, mortars, pestles, boxes, rice fields, whirlpools, insects, etc. The Ilocano textile is renowned for its resilience, simplicity, and functionality.
Gamayo lives and practices in one of the weaving communities of Ilocos Norte—in the purok of Ulidan in Lumbaan-Bicbica, a barangay of the town of Pinili. Her mother imparted the rudiments of the craft, and she continued learning from her aunts starting at the age of 15. Nana Daleng acquired her first loom at the age of 19. Weaving was a common activity in her community during that time, but it declined over the years. Despite this decline, Nana Daleng remained steadfast in her weaving and developed into a consummate weaver.
In 2012, she was declared a Manlilikha ng Bayan, or National Living Treasure, for her significant contributions to the development of Ilocano abel. Her work involved using traditional designs and perfecting weaving techniques that further enhanced the uniqueness of these designs. She also passionately taught the art of weaving and traditional designs to her community, helping others connect with their traditional culture through this craft. The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan is the state’s highest honor for indigenous and folk artists, artisans, craftsmen, and practitioners.
The calendar showcases the various textiles woven by Gamayo, highlighting her skills and presenting diverse designs and techniques. It was designed by journalist, cultural researcher, and publication designer Roel Hoang Manipon, in collaboration with Mervin Concepcion Vergara. Manipon also photographed the textiles and wrote the accompanying text.
The NCCA aspires for the calendar to serve not only as a tool for remembering or marking dates but also as a means to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Ilocano traditional weaving and Philippine culture.