The Yakan of Basilan are some of the greatest weavers in the whole Philippines.

Parangbasak, Lamitan, the hometown of the late Gawad Manilikha ng Bayan, Ambalang Ausalin, is considered to have the largest concentration of Yakan weavers. But the best Yakan artisans are not just found in Parangbasak.

Paguengan (in Akbar, Basilan) is also culturally significant as a producer of skillful and expressive Yakan weavers. There are specific design elements and motifs that are exclusive to Paguengan weavers alone. Weaving techniques such as suwah pendan (embroidery-like embellishment) and suwah bekkat (cross-stitch-like ornamentation) are executed on the warp to create the bunga-sama, the most sophisticated of all Yakan weaves.

The weavers of Akbar are led by the inspirational Mariyam Sulayman Sapie, a legendary figure in Yakan Tennun weaving and a personification of excellence and craftsmanship.

Project Larawan. Profiles of the Filipino. One portrait at a time.

Project Larawan is an initiative of Gabriel “Gabby” Malvar, a documentary filmmaker, writer and photographer, whose narratives are nuanced with unique, inventive perspectives to provoke an inquisitive look at his favorite subject, the Philippines. Become a part of Filipino identity every other Saturday on the DAILY TRIBUNE.