IBAGIW 2020: UP Baguio Launches Children’s Storybooks on Weaving

On November 20, the University of the Philippines Baguio launched five (5) Children’s Storybooks on Weaving and “Agabel Tayo,” a Learning Tool Kit on Cordillera Weaving. The virtual launch was live-streamed through the Museo Kordilyera Facebook page. The launch is also among the events that UP Baguio spearheaded to be part of the Ibagiw 2020 Creative City Festival, where it is one of the festival’s partners.

The publications are among the outputs of the Cordillera Textiles Project (CordiTex), a multi-disciplinary research that aims to study traditional textiles and see how they are used and transformed in the present day. Last year, the Corditex Project showcased a well-curated exhibit at the Museo Kordilyera called “Handwoven Tales: The Warp and Weft of Cordillera Textiles” which was also part of the Ibagiw 2019 list of activities.

For Our Children and Our Children’s Children

Five (5) storybooks are included in the collection. Each one is based on actual narratives or stories from the weavers themselves. All these stories come from the communities themselves, after intensive community research and consultations. As the authors themselves say, they merely served as “voices” of those who have been carrying these stories throughout the generations.

Although each story tells of a different community in the Cordilleras, there are common threads that bind all of them. One of these is a sad realization that a lot needs to be done in order to pass on the knowledge and technology of weaving to the younger generation, especially the younger generation of Cordillerans.

Another one, albeit more hopeful than the first, is that there are special people in these communities who are taking on the role of culture bearers, advocates, and educators who are beginning to realize how important and crucial it is to make sure that this heritage of weaving lives on.

In all these stories, weaving is not simply depicted as a creative activity or an economic opportunity. It is much more than that. It is about family and how knowledge is passed on from one generation to the next. It is about community and how weaving can strengthen the ties some more.

Agabel Tayo: A Tool Kit for Educators

The CordiTex project is a testament to a type of research that gives back to the communities and to society at large. Through the Agabel Tayo! (Let’s Weave!) Learning Tool Kit on Cordillera Weaving, educators now have a comprehensive reference material they can use for teaching the basics of Cordillera weaving.

The tool kit provides detailed descriptions and illustrations of the tools and materials used, as well as basic weaving techniques that are commonly used in Cordillera weaving. It is indeed a one-of-a-kind resource material, which in more ways than one helps us pass on cultural knowledge to the younger generation.

For more information on how to purchase these books, please contact Museo Kordilyera through their Facebook page.