The last Tausug National Living Treasure for Pis Siyabit weaving was Darhata Sawabi, who passed away in 2005.

It seems that we have found the heir apparent to that distinction 20 years later.

Bu Ayang Amilbangsa, who hails from Maimbung, Sulu, is a contemporary of the late Darhata Sawabi and is considered by her peers as an exceptional weaver with an extensive knowledge of the various Pis Siyabit designs and motifs. Though Pis Siyabit weaving is really rooted in Parang, Sulu, Bu Ayang was forced to flee the municipality because of strife and settled in nearby Maimbung.

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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.