Vivid dreams are woven in Mindanao

It seems remarkable and almost otherworldly  how a group of tribal women from a remote region in the Southern Philippines holds on to a weaving tradition that spans centuries; their crafts move beyond our shores to the swanky home and design fairs in Milan, Paris and Frankfurt, then gain notice in the Asia–Pacific region, Europe and the United States. It couldn’t have been part of their wildest dreams. Even in their most vivid dreams, the T’boli women of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato would see intricate patterns the stylized images of nature, animal and plant life or, in some cases, the states of the human imagination. Such images were said to come to them through the goddess Fu Dalu who appeared in their dreams or that of their ancestors. These patterns, of which hundreds still exist today, are translated into designs that may be indigenous in spirit but have a striking contemporary appeal.

The woman and the weave are one: Elena Marcelo at work in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato

I was happy to visit Davao to see how a time-honored art form still flourishes today and how simple homegrown products can be transformed into something extraordinary. I spent the early part of holy week with Maricris Floirendo-Brias, the creative director of the Tadeco Livelihood and Training Center or TLTC. Founded in 1989, TLTC was created to provide additional livelihood for the wives of the Tadeco’s plantation workers. Tadeco or Tagum Agricultural and Development Corporation is the leader in the banana industry, exporting its bananas under the trade name of Del Monte to different points of the globe from North Asia to Southeast Asia and out to the Middle East.  It’s hard to put an exact number to Tadeco’s livelihood workers as much of the work is dictated by the seasons or the availability of the women workers. Maricris tells me, “It’s not a daily job and they work when they are free. We teach them how to sew, make paper, bind books and do metal work. In Christmas time, we have more workers than usual and in the summertime we have a lot of children who are taught how to make paper, how to sew and how to do metal work.” TLTC employs a growing number of ethnic weavers from 20 in 1989 to over 300 today. An important part of its mission is to revive the native artistry and preserve the customs of Mindanao’s ethnic tribes. TLTC designs and manufactures home and decorative objects created from local abaca, banana fibers, and woven abaca cloth made exclusively by the T’boli and Mandaya natives. 

A seamless mix and match of furnishings at T’nalak home, Abreeza mall, Davao City

On Palm Sunday, Maricris and I attended the morning Mass at the Pearl Farm Beach Resort grounds. After Mass, she asked me to come along while she looked over a model unit of a one-bedroom cottage fronting the pool area. The interior is dominated by a king-size bed framed by a headboard covered in an ecru T’nalak weave more like a work of art than a functional piece and yet it is both. The hanging lamps on either side the bed are fashioned from abaca on wire. The shutters of the glass sliding doors are trimmed with a bronze abaca cloth another utilitarian piece and a modern design element. Such design details demonstrate the innovative use of indigenous materials and showcases the talents of local artists. Maricris first began her involvement with Tadeco in 1988, when she moved to Davao after her marriage to Tony Brias. She then wanted to use more locally made products for the resort interiors. Throughout the resort and its villas situated in the nearby Malipano Island, the arts and crafts of Mindanao are prominently on view bronze vessels and plates, tall drums of carved-wood, pillows, drapes and vases created from abaca or T’nalak weave all objects of stunning beauty and part of the rich cultural heritage of our southern provinces. 

Maricris Floirendo-Brias, creative director of TLTC: Her vision and designs have given home-grown products and ethnic arts a contemporary twist

 Translating raw local materials into distinctive decorative pieces is something that comes naturally to Maricris. A graphic design major from the Goldsmith’s College at the University of London, she keeps a sketchbook handy as she tells me that inspiration comes from everything she sees. She shows me a drawing of a salakot or native hat that will be used as a design for a hanging lamp. Her designs for cushions covers, stools, vases, candleholders and wall hangings have been featured in the FAME show in Manila, the Frankfurt Ambiente, the Milan Furniture Fair and the Maison et Objets in Paris. “Contemporary design is about simplicity, about going back to the basics which is primitive,” she explains. “The concept of our design is to harmoniously bring together the past and the present,” she points out. “Today, exporters are looking for materials that are organic and biodegradable. They are also looking into helping indigenous peoples, the underprivileged and women’s causes or groups.” Maricris tells me that participating in trade shows abroad helps us market the Philippines. 

Juvy Fernandez, manager of TLTC (right) and a happy worker holds up the frame of a Salakot hanging lamp

We are on the way to the Tadeco Plantation, a 45-minute drive from the city center on a bright Monday morning. In a sense, this is where it all begins. We visit the processing plant to see how the bananas are cleaned, packaged and packed in large chilled containers ready to make their journey out of Davao to the world. Next we see how the banana pulp is slowly transformed into paper or dyed fibers that become the raw material for a host of decorative and novelty items that will provide a livelihood for, as well as a sense of pride to Tadeco’s workers. From there it was on to the livelihood center to see the finished products and meet the women who produce these one-of-a-kind crafts that have gained acceptance and praise both here and abroad.

 Within this livelihood center is an outlet store with the complete line of products made by Tadeco’s workers. The items come in a happy assemblage of eye-popping colors, dark and pale neutrals in floral or geometric patterns. Rows of gift-wrapping paper come in a various textures, prints and tones, as do gift boxes, picture frames, notebooks, handbags, candleholders, hanging and standing lamps, and an array of vases. Off in a corner stands a table with a set of stools designed to resemble the rambutan fruit. It’s amazing to see the many objects that can be produced from banana paper and abaca it seems the options are limitless. One level above the store, women are at work molding the shapes of candelabras, fruit bowls and picture frames amid a flurry of boxes as they try to keep up with orders from individual and corporate clients both here and abroad. The vision of Maricris Brias and the industry of her workers have paid off. In 2002, TLTC was a recipient of the TESDA Kabalikat Award for its exemplary contribution to the advancement of technical education and training, in 2003, it was granted the UNESCO APHADA Seal of excellence for generating the best handicraft products in Southeast Asia; in 2004, it became a Katha Awardee and in 2006, it was recognized in the Gawad Saka Awards as an outstanding non-food processor in Davao del Norte. Talking to Maricris, you would never guess she had taken her vision and mission so far. There was never any talk of accolades or awards. For this dynamic lady, there was barely enough time to keep up with the work ahead. In the few days we spent together, most of her time was spent talking to contractors, workers and managers moving things around, making alterations here and there, talking about product development or design so as to present locally-sourced and home-grown products in the best manner. What concerns her most is the long-term sustainability of TLTC and keeping up with new design concepts. This is a demanding enterprise and one with a social conscience.

We head back to the Pearl Farm Marina in the late afternoon to visit the T’boli Weaving Center. There are a selection of items from Tadeco with the added feature of watching a T’boli weaver on a back-strap weave doing what the women of her tribe do best weaving designs that come to them in their dreams or have been passed on to them from mother to daughter for generations. The weaver is dressed in a jacket of intricate design part beaded, part woven and wears a headdress of multi-colored beads attached to ornamental combs. I was told she prays before weaving, believing the abaca has a spirit. She is working on a black, white and red geometric pattern that will yield yards of sublime and elegant material much like her bearing, her movement and manner of speaking. Elena Marcelo hails from Lake Sebu, a five-hour drive from Davao, and the ancestral land of the T’boli tribe. The T’boli are a people of many talents most famous for their dream-inspired weaving, as well as their skills in embroidery, brass casting, bead-jewelry and woodcarving. They are distinguished particularly for their clothing and personal adornments. Maricris shows us the jackets Elena designs. Elena will happily make one by order although it may take four months to see the finished product. After all, this is no ordinary jacket it is a work of art and a way of expressing her unique culture. The T’boli Weaving Center was conceived to promote the culture of the T’boli and to help preserve a dying art. Each piece or product that is sold helps uplift the lives of the tribe and preserves their crafts.  

 It is early evening now and we head to the last stop in the TLTC story the T’nalak Home store in the Abreeza Mall back in the city center. T’nalak Home is a contemporary home store in every sense. It features its products alongside those of other Filipino home accessories designers to demonstrate how well different items go together. Looking at the merchandise that day, it was a seamless mix and match a harmonious coming together of various styles.

 We take the boat back to Pearl Farm for dinner and chat late into the night. Maricris tells me she likes working with the grassroots because they are so grateful for any help you give them. “It’s a hand-to-mouth existence for them,” she explains. “Every day it takes them three hours to walk to town from where they live. They come down on market day, on Saturdays when they sell their goods to traders and the shops of Al De Vinco in Davao city.” A selection of Tadeco’s products can be found in Manila at Rustan’s, SM’s Kultura or in W/17.

 Summing it all up, Maricris says, “It’s all about preserving the T’boli culture which is preserving their way of life.” Pondering the subject further, she adds, “Our culture really stems from the indigenous people that’s where we find what is really Filipino, through their arts and crafts.”