As an annual traditional, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts releases its wall calendar that promotes Filipino culture. This year, the NCCA calendar pays tribute to Ilocano textile weaver Magdalena Gamayo, who celebrating her birth centennial in 2024.

Gamayo, was born on 13 August 1924, is considered a master in weaving different textiles, a traditional craft of the Ilocano people in the Ilocos Region of northwest Luzon. It is often referred to as abel or inabel, which are Ilocano words generally used for “weave” or “something woven.” The tradition still survives today and is becoming a vibrant industry, rooted in heritage and folk artistry. Weavers employ several techniques, such as the plain weave, the binakol, the pinilian, the binetwagan or tinumballitian, the kundiman and the impalagto, to create many designs and patterns inspired by their surroundings and everyday objects such as flowers, mortars, pestles, boxes, rice fields, whirlpools, insects, etc. The Ilocano textile is known for its resilience, simplicity and functionality.

Gamayo lives and practices in one of the weaving communities of Ilocos Norte — in the purok of Ulidan in Lumbaan-Bicbica, a barangay of the town of Pinili. Her mother taught her the rudiments of the craft and from then on she learned from her aunts starting at the age of 15. Nana Daleng had her first loom at the age of 19. During that time, weaving was a common activity if her community, but it declined over time. Through the years, Nana Daleng remained a constant in her weaving and then grew to be a consummate weaver.

In 2012, she was declared a Manlilikha ng Bayan, or National Living Treasure, for having “contributed to the development of the Ilocano abel by using traditional designs in her work as well as perfecting weaving techniques that further enhance the uniqueness of these designs,” and “passionately taught the art of weaving and traditional designs to her community, thus helping others identify with their traditional culture through weaving.” The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan is the state’s highest honor for indigenous and folk artists, artisans, craftsmen, and practitioners.

The calendar features the different textiles that Gamayo has woven, demonstrating her skill and showing the different designs and techniques. It is designed by journalist, cultural researcher and publication designer Roel Hoang Manipon, together with Mervin Concepcion Vergara. Manipon also took the photographs and wrote the text.

The NCCA hopes that the calendar serves not only be as a tool to remember or mark dates but also as a way to learn more about and appreciate Ilocano traditional weaving and Philippine culture.