Laoag honors ‘living treasure’ master weaver
Friend Al Vicente, a retired diplomat from Solsona, Ilocos Norte, like most Ilocanos in the know, speaks highly of master weaver Magdalena Gamayo, 100: “She is the living treasure who makes us proud of inabel, the Ilocano cloth with its intricate weaves and patterns. I just had an inabel barong made by my tailor in Laoag.”
Gamayo’s skills were developed when she was 16, at a time when World War II was raging in Europe and about to break out in the Philippines. Her most famous work is the inuban, a sabang or string of flowers that can only be created through a difficult, time-consuming weaving technique. Being the leading practitioner of this Ilocano tradition, Gamayo was named a Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasure) in 2012.
The recent celebration of Gamayo’s 100th birthday was a big event in Ilocos Norte, organized by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte. It was held at the Plaza del Norte Hotel and Convention Center in Laoag City.
The wheelchair-bound birthday celebrator was wheeled into the hall by another Manlilikha ng Bayan, Adelita Bagcal, and placed in front of the stage. A pada pada kam, a traditional Ilocano ritual during a birthday, was performed. Weavers from the Gamaba Cultural Center and students from the Inabel Weaving Training Program serenaded her with “Tanging Yaman,” a hymn composed by Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ, and members of the indigenous Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe performed around the master weaver in celebration.
Pride of Ilocandia
Praises were showered upon her. “May you live long, Nanay,” chanted one follower.
“You represent the very best of us Ilocanos, of Ilocos Norte,” said Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc. NCCA chair Victorino Mapa Manalo, who garlanded Gamayo with flowers, opined that “she herself is her own triumph (tagumpay), and an important asset (kayamanan) of our country and like a true artist, she is humble and simple.”
A huge replica of a commemorative stamp (P16) in honor of the Manlilikha ng Bayan stood on the stage, and with great ceremony Gamayo signed the blown-up stamp, with postmaster general Michael Planas present. In a voiceover, President Marcos announced that he is designating Aug. 13 as Magdalena Gamayo Day, and enjoined the NCCA to celebrate that day among state colleges and universities.
Cultural performances were an important part of the program. Choirs from the Mariano Marcos State University and Northwestern University performed. The igal, a traditional Ilocano dance, saw the girls moving gracefully while a male pivoted manfully around, accompanied by a three-man band playing gongs, drums and percussion instruments.
The performances of the Pinili Dance Troupe was flower-laden, with the males brandishing sticks and the females waving woven cloth. A marching band on the stage struck up the “Happy Birthday” tune, delighting some little boys who started to dance around the stage.
The finale was a spectacular production number by a horde of students from the state universities and colleges, shouting joyfully, chanting in rhythm, waving woven cloth and big bamboo slats, as huge props in the form of spinning wheels rolled in.
