BIOGRAPHY of
MAGDALENA GAMAYO

In Pinili,Ilocos Norte, decades of history and tradition are best embodied in the hands of Magdalena Gamayo. She is renowned as a great weaver of the inabel cloth- a historic cotton fabric bartered for gold in the Galleon Trade and described in the ancient Ilocano epic Biag ni Lam-ang. At 15 years old, during World War II, she learned the craft from her aunts, making her a mag-aabel for almost 80 years. 

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Magdalena has since polished her abilities on her own, teaching herself classic inabel designs like binakol (whirlwinds), inuritan (geometric patterns), sinan-sabong (flowers) and kusikos (spiral forms). In 2012, she became one of only 16 recipients of the estemeed GAMABA or National Living Treasures Award for her unrivaled mastery of inabel weaving.

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In weaving inabel, she emphasizes the demand for patience and passion in the craft, as it requires precision to create intricate designs. There is no room for haste and carelessness. Meanwhile, abel weaving’s process is truly complex and demanding for she claims that a single mistake can ruin the entire the design. For Magdalena, handpicking resilient threads is essential because an abel cloth must last for generations.

 Although Magadalena Gamayo is acclaimed for her contributions and works up to present, it cannot be denied that there has been a considerable decrease in the demand for her craft. It became difficult to compete their products with cheap, mass-produced textile. Furthermore, she fears that the tradition of abel weaving will soon vanish once she’s gone, for there remains very few of them in the community. Hence, she wishes that her people, particularly her apprentices, will continue their tradition and receive the support they deserve.