“Life is a loom, weaving illusion” [1] and in Mindanao’s storied sundry of woven heritage, a diverse weaving art scattered across the region abounds with dream-like patterns and fascinating backstories. Anecdotes encompassing historical origins and local legends shape the roots of the various cloth creations of the Dreamweavers’ T’nalak of South Cotabato, the Langkit of Maranao, the Dagmay of the Mandayas, the Tausugs's Habul Tiyahian, the Inabal of Davao del Sur’s Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe, among others—and in this case, ushering a festivity called the Inaul Festival.
Inaul Festival Celebrates Maguindanao’s Living Weaving Tradition
Stepping out of cultural obscurity is the renaissance of Maguindanao’s living weaving tradition of Inaul. Literally translated to "weave" in the local Maguindanaon language, the Inaul is a fabric conveying Muslim culture and heritage through a myriad of vibrant colors and intricate designs.
The Inaul's common colors are said to symbolize true Maguindanaon principles: red for bravery, yellow and orange for royalty, black for dignity, green for peace, and white for either mourning or purity.
Traditional Designs of the Inaul
Most of the Inaul weavers we met at the trade expo during the festival hailed from the municipality of Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao. It was there where we also talked with Noraina Ansing, an Inaul master weaver for more than thirty years. She discussed with us the five main designs they usually create. These are the Sikukaruwang, Lombayan, Karanda, Biyaludan, and the Sikuaundune.
The Sikukaruwang blends the main pattern shaped like an elbow with a diamond-shaped figure called the 'kinayupu'. The Lombayan evokes the emotions of love and sadness. The third design, meanwhile, came about from a friendly weaving competition Ansing’s grandfather, Sultan Umping of Butig, asked his four wives to participate in. The winning design woven by his fourth wife became known as the karanda. The Biyaludan is the most expensive among the five designs and is used only during special occasions. The process of weaving this design involves the more complicated tie-dyed process. The Sikuaundune is characterized by a small tip with a shorter tail. The patterns on this one are achieved when weavers combine two designs.
2019 Inaul Festival: A Visual Pomp
In hopes of sustaining the reemergence of this traditional weaving art, the province of Maguindanao organized a festival named after it in 2017. Since then, it has been held every month of February in the municipality of Buluan.
The Inaul Festival—unlike most festivals in the country—is not a one-weekend spectacle. The festivities last two weeks, consisting of various events like cultural shows, a local cuisine exhibition, a rodeo contest, and a beauty pageant called the "Palamata Nu Maguindanao." Young women from Maguindanao showcase long gowns made of Inaul fabric, transforming the event into a beauty pageant mixed with a cultural show. During the Governor's Night, the Inaul fabric once again took center stage as beauty queens and fashion models swaggered over the catwalk wearing fancy Inaul formal wear.
The highlight of the Inaul Festival occurred on the streets of Buluan, where contingents from various towns and municipalities paraded their Inaul-themed floats alongside street dancers and musical bands.
All of the performers were adorned with malong and gowns made of Inaul cloth created from the three types of threads: tanor (cotton), silk (rayon), and the katiyado, commonly used by the skilled Maguindanaoan women weavers.
The dazzling display of the Inaul Festival street parade performers covered in vivid colors, even under the bright sheen of the sun, made a lasting, jovial impression on me. Not only had I learned more about the Inaul woven art of Maguindanao, but I had also seen it up close worn by men and women of all ages engaging in all sorts of celebratory movements.
As the decibels of the drum beats started to drown out and the street parade contingents wrapped up their performances, I ran my fingers over the smooth surface of a piece of Inaul cloth our hosts had given us. It made me imagine the tedious process of shedding, picking, and battening—all repeated thousands of times just to finish a woven bit.
Afterward, I recalled the glowing face of Noraina Ansing as she narrated to us the intricacies of Inaul weaving. Buoyed by her and fellow women weavers' passionate efforts to keep this wonderful living art alive, I felt the pride covering her appearance becoming contagious.
[1] Quote from Vachel Lindsay.
(This article originally appeared in the January 22, 2016 issue of Business Mirror and Nomadic Experiences)
