For National Women's Week, we celebrate women who do exemplary work in promoting our local culture. From a long list, this writer has selected six women from a pool of countless equally impressive individuals who have contributed - and continue to contribute - to our society’s rich cultural heritage. Here are some of them.

It is a rare privilege to encounter a national living treasure, and few personify that distinction like Lola Magdalena Gamayo. When I met her, she was 99 years old; she became a centenarian in 2024. Even at that age, she continues to weave inabel, the traditional handwoven textile of Ilocos Norte, while mentoring a new generation of artisans.

A recipient of the prestigious Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) award in 2012, Lola Magdalena is one of fewer than 30 Filipino artisans honored with this recognition. She actively participates in workshops at the Pinili Inabel Center in Nueva Era, sharing her mastery of patterns, techniques, and the cultural stories embedded in every thread.

During my visit, I watched her complete a piece featuring the Kusikok or Kusikos pattern, a swirling motif believed to ward off evil spirits. Even after nearly a century of life, her hands move with precision, weaving not just cloth, but the living legacy of her people.

In the highland town of Pasil, Kalinga, the Philippines’ first Indigenous Slow Food Community, I met two more female cultural bearers. Rowena Gonnay has rallied her neighbors to cultivate organic produce in backyard gardens, preserving heirloom recipes and serving healthy dishes to locals and visitors alike. “From seed to plate, it’s all labor and legacy,” she says, a philosophy evident in every harvest.

Nearby, Lola Kum-as, the village’s oldest living potter, reminds the community that even cookware carries history. Pasil’s earthen pots are shaped entirely by hand, without wheels or machines; a practice passed down through generations. During a brief demonstration, Lola Kum-as showed us the meticulous craft behind the pottery, as her smile radiates the warmth of a doting grandmother.

Bearers of Filipino culture also include those from the culinary world. Travelers often do not leave Batac without stopping by the famous row of empanada stalls in front of the church. The oldest stall still frying up empanadas is Glory’s Empanada, founded by Gloria Aduana Cocson, now 83, who began making empanadas at 15.

Over the years, she perfected her ingredients and technique, turning her empanadas into Batac’s most beloved snack. Becoming a single mother at a young age, Lola Gloria persevered, eventually supporting her seven children through her business. Her dedication has earned her recognition among Ilocos Norte’s most celebrated culinary figures, including the Kalipi Award and the Gameng Lifetime Achievement Award.

Those who have visited Iloilo and perhaps all of Panay Island and hired a tour guide would know Erlyn Alunan: a woman who carries the history of the island like a walking book. She is filled with endless tales from each town’s traditions, backstories, characters, epic legends, and beliefs ranging from the religious to the superstitious - as well as her experiences as a young tour guide in the 1980s, showing around the likes of Aga Muhlach and Richard Gomez.

Tour guides like her are why I always recommend hiring a local guide to gain a deeper understanding of a place. People like Erlyn Alunan not only preserve local culture but also retell stories worth sharing about our country.

The youngest person on this list, Jhomaica is a recent college graduate now working as a staff member of Mayoyao's Tourism Office. Despite her youth, she is already capable of serving as her town’s cultural ambassador, as she is knowledgeable in singing the Ifugao Hudhud chant.

The Hudhud, listed on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is composed of narrative chants that the Ifugao people have traditionally sung since as early as the 7th century. It consists of hundreds of chants recounting traditional practices, ancestors’ religious beliefs, epic tales of warriors, customary law, and history. In the past, these chants were usually sung or recited by elders holding significant positions in the community, such as historians or preachers, and completing a full recitation could take several days.

When I first began traveling, I was drawn to the sheer visual spectacle of a destination—the more picturesque, the better. I believed that dramatic landscapes alone could capture the spirit of my journey, with each frame giving me a postcard-worthy memento. But as I pursued the craft of travel writing more seriously, my perspective evolved. I came to realize that a place is more than its scenery; I discovered that a great deal of a destination’s soul rests in the stories of its people. By putting more focus on the locals, I witnessed how their traditions, heritage, and daily rhythms weave a richer narrative, thus transforming every visit into a deeper, more meaningful experience that lingers long after I leave.

While I’ll never pass up the chance to walk barefoot into powdery sand on an island framed by turquoise waters or savor a steaming cup of coffee atop a mountain with a sweeping 360-degree view, I always look forward to immersing myself in local communities, where genuine connections unfold. Conversations with locals reveal not just their personal stories but also the deep-rooted history and culture of a place. These encounters transform my travel experiences into something more than sightseeing.

I found myself with that opportunity once more, joining members of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) of the Philippines on a journey through Western Visayas. Our route stretched from the coastal city of Sagay in Negros Occidental to the quiet towns of Calinog and Barotac Viejo in Iloilo province. Along the way, the landscapes shifted—mangrove forests gave way to rolling fields, and bustling seafood markets led to quiet plazas.

Covering three communities spanning the islands of Negros and Panay, with a ferry boat ride from Bacolod City to Iloilo in between, we were introduced to the indigenous communities of the Ata’s in Barangay Puey, Sagay City, the Panay-Bukidnon’s in Calinog; and the Ati’s in Nagpana, Barotac Viejo, both in Iloilo Province.

As one of the earliest settlers who built communities in the mountains of Panay Island, the Suludnon—also known as the Panay-Bukidnon, Pan-ayanon, or Tumandok—have preserved a way of life that predates Spanish colonization. Not to be mistaken for Bukidnon, the province; the name Bukidnon in many Visayan languages translates to "from the mountains."

Isolated from the lowland Visayan communities of Capiz, Antique, and Iloilo, they remain one of the few indigenous groups in the region to have retained their ancestral traditions, spiritual beliefs, and oral epics. Their language, Iigbok (or Ligbok) remains distinct, a testament to their cultural resilience. Known for their intricate panubok embroidery, binanog courtship dance, and sugidanon or epic chanting, the Panay-Bukidnon embody a living heritage passed down through generations. As modernization reaches their ancestral lands, their struggle to preserve their identity continues, making them a vital link to the Philippines’ pre-colonial past.

In the town of Calinog located in the central part of Panay Island and an hour and a half away from Iloilo City, we meet several members of the Panay-Bukidnon Community especially the family of 2000 National Living Treasures or GAMABA (Manlilikha sa Manlilikha ng Bayan) awardee Federico Caballero (1935-2024).

Caballero received the GAMABA for his commitment to safeguarding Panay’s oral heritage, especially its ten epic narratives. Through his skilled chanting in extinct languages related to Kinaray-a such as Ligbok, he ensured that his community’s history, literature, and legends would endure for future generations.

After Caballero died on August 17, 2024, his surviving wife, Lucia Caballero, herself a cultural bearer who had been awarded the Unsung Woman Hero for her contributions to championing the culture and heritage of the Panay-Bukidnon Indigenous communities all over the island of Panay, became one of the most senior members and heads of their community in Calinog.

Today, they invite visitors to stay in homestay accommodations they established, offering a chance to experience their culture through local cuisine, lectures on their art—particularly embroidery—and live demonstrations of various traditional performance arts.

There's also a School of Living Traditions in Calinog where young Panay-Bukidnons learn their olden art of epic chanting—most notably the Hinilawod epic tale—alongside courtship and cultural dances, and the meticulous craft of panubok embroidery, often created from sturdy nito vines.

Prior to our trip here in Calinog, I already have a previous encounter with the members of the Panay-Bukidnon community in the province of Capiz. On a visit at the Capiz Ecology Park and Cultural Village, I met an elderly couple, Mang Kune and Nanay Modena. Mang Kune shared that his wife was the last known binukot in the island of Panay.

Meaning "veiled" in Visayan language, a binukot involves a noblewoman who is kept in seclusion from childhood to the day she got married when she becomes known as a “nabukot”, to preserve her grace and mystique, elevating her status among suitors. This pre-colonial Visayan tradition meant Modena never left her home until her arranged marriage in her twenties.

However, over the past few decades, this traditional practice has gradually become less prevalent. "We sent our daughters to school," Mang Kune stated in Kinaray-a when asked who among the females in their nine children became a binukot.

The Ata people in Negros Island, were previously known as a nomadic people who chose to live by the river. Sagay City Tourism Officer Helen Javier Arguelles explains how the once-nomadic Ata found a permanent home in the highlands of Sagay.

“After a devastating flood displaced several Ata families, the late Governor Joseph G. Marañon, then the municipal mayor, relocated them here,” Arguelles says. “In 1997, the local government secured a five-hectare lot for them, now known as Purok Ata in Barangay Puey.”

From then on, beginning on a tiny enclave of three households, the community grew and attracted more community members to build their own homes in Purok Ata.

Beyond having a place to call their own, Arguelles notes, the Ata community now welcomes visitors eager to learn about their history and traditions firsthand.

Today, the Ata community continue to thrive within a self-sustained village equipped with a daycare, a clinic, and modest housing. Here, elders take on the role of educators, ensuring that the Ata Youth—future stewards of their heritage—carry forward their customs and beliefs.

Our visit couldn't have been timelier as it coincided with a special occasion, the Ata Day, which the community celebrate every last week of November. A troupe of cultural performers welcomed us with the “Inagong,” a spirited courtship dance, and captivated us with bird calls—an art they call “pispis”—before sharing a feast of traditional fare.

Among Indigenous groups in the Philippines, the Ata remain largely overlooked. But Ata Day offers them a rare opportunity to share their culture, a quiet assertion of identity in a rapidly changing world.

“When we conducted a perception survey, most residents appreciate their culture, however only 30% actively practice it, hence celebrating Ata Day is all the more significant” Arguelles added. “If unpreserved, unappreciated, and uncelebrated, their culture will die.”

Spending an afternoon among them offered more than just a brief encounter. It was an invitation into a way of life rarely seen by outsiders. It was a quiet but profound reminder that, even in a world mapped and documented, there are cultures still waiting to be understood.

On another visit to Iloilo Province, while documenting the Philippines’ Tourism Promotions Board’s community-based tourism projects, I saw firsthand how the Ati community in Barotac Viejo has built self-sufficiency. At the heart of it is Balay Kape Nagpana, a community-run enterprise where a thriving coffee farm has become a hub for roasting exceptional coffee beans.

This Ati community in Iloilo is one of several settlements spread across the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros. Both the Ata and the Ati trace their ancestry to the same sub-groupings of other Negrito ethnic groups in the Philippines, including the Aeta of Luzon, the Agta of Sierra Madre, the Batak of Palawan, and the Mamanwa of Mindanao.

Balay Kape Nagpana is a seed-to-cup coffee farm and café, operated by the Ati community in Barangay Nagpana, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, with support from the NGO organization Taytay Sa Kauswagan (TSKI) and the Department of Science and Technology.

Here, Ati women meticulously handpick and roast robusta beans, producing a rich, aromatic blend. The farm also processes Kape Miro, named after the Asian palm civet, which grow well in the surrounding forests and feeds on coffee cherries, wild berries and other pulpy fruits.

During our visit here before we tasted their coffee, which are grown and processed on site, several Ati women greeted us with a welcome dance and a song about the history of their community.

The need for more #CultureTrips

By being able to visit these three indigenous communities that spreads across the two islands of Panay and Negros, a common thread became evident: a quiet resilience, and a determination to safeguard heritage in a rapidly modernizing world. I immediately found myself being in awe at how each community tell its own story of preserving their culture and identity.

As travelers chase stunning landscapes and postcard-perfect views, there’s something just as rewarding in seeking out culture-driven experiences. By weaving these communities into our journeys, we do more than just visit—we help create opportunities for them to share their traditions, celebrate their identity, and keep their heritage alive for generations to come.

I first heard of the creations of BidiBidi when I was given an embroidered face mask featuring a beautiful portrait of a woman on one side and a woven pattern on the other. If there's one good thing to come out of the pandemic, it’s the use of fashionable face masks, and the one created by BidiBidi tops all I've worn.

Since then, I’ve heard nothing but praise about how this social enterprise empowers a network of more than 200 women in Bicol in harnessing their skills in weaving, embroidery and crocheting to improve their economic standing in their communities.

A TPB-organized Workshop

As luck would have it, I found myself half a year later in Buhi, Camarines Sur, the same place where BidiBidi Social Enterprise operates, to attend a workshop called “Marketing Enhancement on Sustainable Community-Based Tourism”. Conducted by the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines (TPB), it was attended by the members of BOKPA (Buhi One-town, One-Product Key Players Association).

In addition to enhancing quality control, designing, and workflow procedures, the workshop introduced the One-Town, One-Product (OTOP) creators of Buhi to the know-hows to sell their creations in social media. Apple Allison, a brand builder and idea accelerator, led the workshop. With her background in marketing, communication, brand-building, creative education and coaching — among her many hats, she was able to teach the women weavers many of the modern best practices for promoting and improving the quality of their products.

Some of the weavers of Buhi, Camarines Sur, invited us to their homes after the first day of the workshop to show us their woven materials, which are in high demand among designers of clothing and footwear, as well as other finished products, which included table runners and bedsheets to laptop sleeves and pouches.

There was a time back in the 1960s when the town of Buhi became famous for its handloom weaving tradition, which the locals called "hinabol". Timeless Filipino clothing like the Baro't Saya, Kamisa de Chino, and the ubiquitous sleeping essential kumot, became the most sought-after creations.

As told to us by Clarita Noble of BOKPA, the practice of handloom weaving quickly faded out when ukay-ukay garments from abroad and shopping malls displaced local clothing producers.

Located not far from each other were the four houses we visited. Each has their own weaving pedal looms. One creates purely table runners and bedsheets, the other specializes on bags and shoes while the others make a variety of both.

I also discovered that the more than 70 members of BOKPA and the creators of Buhinon Woven Products were not all women, as we met a male weaver whose voice cracks up with emotion as he told us about the economic benefits his family had gained from him learning to weave.

Brewing Art in BidiBidi Café

Bernadette De Los Santos, an artist, social entrepreneur, environmentalist and farmer based in Camarines Sur founded BidiBidi (based on Bernadette’s childhood nickname) in 2017, by teaching more than 150 women in her hometown of Baao, the skill of hand embroidery.

Unbeknownst to most, Baao was formerly the hub of embroidery in the Bicol region. By taking charge of the renaissance of the craft, De Los Santos' BidiBidi brings the craft's resurgence full circle, producing a seamless transition from that intriguing period in Baao's history to the present.

"My target beneficiaries were the rural women, mostly wishes of farmers. Being a farmer myself, I know that they need extra income to augment the family budget" said Delos Santos.

By sourcing most of her sustainable materials from Buhi, BidiBidi formed and developed a lasting collaborations with the women weavers whose creations De Los Santos aptly describes as “Buhimian”, a reference to the municipality of Buhi and a play on the word "bohemian," typically used to denote unconventional artistry.

Located on the ground floor of De Los Santos’ ancestral house in Baao, BidiBidi Café not only brews coffee and tea but embroidered, woven, and crocheted works of art as well.

The showcased BidiBidi merchandise, featuring De Los Santos' signature hand-embroidered faces, hangs on the walls, and the eclectic mix of artworks, art installations, colorful yarns and textiles, and repurposed furniture gives the space an artistic vibe. It came as no surprise for our group to be willfully “budol-ed” into buying numerous items from large to medium-sized bags, laptop sleeves to smaller items.

The future looks promising for the communities in this region of Camarines Sur to market their long-standing traditional weaving practice as a major One-Town, One-Product produce through Sustainable Community-Based Tourism, thanks in large part to the workshop conducted by TPB and the already flourishing collaboration between BidiBidi and the Buhi-mian weavers of Buhi.