Celebration of weaver Magdalena Gamayo’s birth centenary kicks off

Longevity, as exemplified by persons reaching 100 years old or more, is valued in many cultures, and always amazes us. More than testaments of survival, they are witnesses to history and widely considered as fonts of wisdom formed by lifetime of experiences and learning. More admirable are the bearers of knowledge of practices and crafts that are in the verge of vanishing for they are living vessels of stories that tell of the journey of the community and of humanity. Thus, Ilocano textile weaver Magdalena Gamayo’s birth centennial is fittingly regarded not only as her personal milestone but a national one.

Gamayo was awarded the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) or Order of National Living Treasures, which is at the same level as the Order of National Artists, in 2012. GAMABA is the Philippine state’s highest honor for exemplary artisans, craftsmen and practitioners of traditional, folk and indigenous arts and crafts who do not only upholds traditions but also produces works of outstanding quality and pass the knowledge to members of their communities.

Gamayo, who still weaves traditional textiles using the wooden upright loom, was born on 13 August 1924 in Ilocos Norte. Like many of the Malilikha ng Bayan, she lost or does not have a birth certificate. There was a baptismal certificate, when she was baptized in Badoc but it was destroyed in a fire, according to the Badoc parish office. For the late registration of her birth, her marriage certificate and her relatives’ birth certificates served as bases to estimate her date of birth.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), which administers the GAMABA, is spearheading a yearlong celebration of Gamayo’s birth centenary with a series of commemorative events. This is the second time that the state’s main cultural agency is holding a centennial year celebration for a Manlilikha ng Bayan. The first one was for the late Bagobo Manobo ikat textile weaver Salinta Monon in 2020 and 2021. This is the first time NCCA is celebrating for a living Manlilikha ng Bayan.

The Gamayo celebration kickstarted with the unveiling of the birth centennial logo on 6 May, marking the beginning of a 100-day countdown to Gamayo’s birthday and also a yearlong fete. The program was held at her home in the purok of Ulidan in Lumbaan-Bicbica, Pinili, where a community weaving center and a cultural center have been built.

The program was opened by Adelita Romualdo Bagcal, a practitioner of the dallot, an Ilocano oral tradition, from the adjacent town of Banna, and a recently declared Manlilikha ng Bayan, who chanted a prayer that she composed. Among performances by the Ilocos Norte National High School Tamboreros, the Ilocos Norte National High School Tagnawa Dance Troupe, and the Northwestern University Saguday Chorale, NCCA chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo, Pinili Mayor Rommel Labasan, and Presidential Assistant for Northern Luzon Ana Carmela V. Remigio delivered their messages and paid their own tributes to Gamayo. On the other hand, Senator Loren Legarda sent her keynote message through a video recording, and Reden S. Ulo, head of the NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts and the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Executive Council, read the rationale behind the design of the logo.

Designed by the GAMABA Executive Council, the logo, its elements and meanings are explained, rather exuberantly, thus: “In the realm of the weaving, a rectangular foundation stands as a symbol of balance and stability, mirroring the profound essence of the human mind. As the base lies horizontally, it signifies continuity, perpetuating the timeless legacy of wisdom bestowed upon generations yet to come. Gracing the base are the kusikos patterns, one of the most known patterns of the inabel.”

Kusikos is the Ilocano word for “whirlwind,” while inabel means “something woven.”

“It is within this space that the master weaver, Manlilikha ng Bayan Magdalena Gamayo, finds solace and unwavering concentration — few of the crucial traits possessed by Nana Daleng, who unwaveringly maintains composure and unyielding dedication while bringing forth remarkable textiles of unparalleled excellence. AIso featured in the logo as well is the pangablan — the Ilocano loom, the channel where the Ilocano weavers conjure beautiful textiles that mark the outstanding artistry of the Ilocano people. The base along with the logo elements are rendered in violet depicting the most favored color of MB Magdalena Gamayo,” the NCCA further said. “Beside her is the 100 icon that depicts her Birth Centennial rendered in white to easily communicate the celebration to the public.”

Gamayo herself expressed her gratitude and led the logo unveiling marked by fireworks before the audience comprising of guests, local and national government representatives, weavers of the community, and students of weaving.

Also revealed during the event were the series of events and projects honoring Gamayo. Even before this kickoff, there have been activities that celebrate Gamayo’s centenary — “Panaglaga ti Lagda: Weave Transcending Time,” a fashion show in Davao City in August 2023; the exhibit, “Inubon a Dayaw: The Life and Works of Manlilikha ng Bayan Magdalena Gamayo,” at the NCCA Gallery in Intramuros, Manila, in October 2023; and the 2024 NCCA calendar dedicated to Gamayo.

The centennial events and projects include an online promotional campaign that includes the weavers of the community and students of the weaving training program; turnover of Gamayo’s works to the National Museum of the Philippines’ Ilocos Regional Museum on 24 June; “The Inabel Textile Tradition of Ilocos Region and the Legacy of MB Magdalena Gamayo,” an online lecture on 19 July; her birthday on 13 August; the culmination of Sagut: 100 Learners for Gamayo’s 100, a weaving learning program led by Dr. Edwin V. Antonio, vice head of the NCCA National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities and director of the program, in August; an inabel weaving competition throughout the Ilocos Region from October to November; a lecture series held across the nation from October to December; a traveling exhibition on Gamayo’s works and legacy from February to May 2025; and a culminating event with the launch of a coffee-table book on 13 August 2025.

With the theme, “Ang Inabel ni Magdalena Gamayo, Sinapupunan ng Ugnayang Pampamayanan,” the centennial celebration is guided, according to NCCA, by principles of the “ancestral wisdom” carried by Gamayo; “the passing on of knowledge and expertise to future generations;” and “the significance of youth as culture bearers, as the enduring guardians to carry forward the Ilocano weaving tradition.”

As it highlights Gamayo’s life marked by her dedication to weaving, which she learned at 16 years old and practices until now, and her upholding of excellence in her craft, and her impact on local and national cultures, it also aims to engage the younger generations in safeguarding heritage and the Filipinos to be inspired by Gamayo.