Silent witness
#ProjectLarawan. 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.
Photograph courtesy of PROJECT LARAWAN
Even at more than 100 years old, Ilocano artisan and GAMABA awardee Magdalena Gamayo could still sit at her loom and weave for three hours daily. It was part of her routine. Part of the discipline.
She took a brief break for a routine check-up this June. When she returned to her loom, she found it difficult to sit for more than a few minutes, although she was in excellent health. Perhaps her limbs had endured too much strain from a lifetime spent hunched over the apparatus that, ironically, provided her with so much purpose and meaning. She had grown weary and quick to tire. Not surprising, though. Age comes to all of us.
The loom now stands untouched, holding an inabel-in-progress within its frame that may never be completed at all. Yet it remains a silent witness to the countless weaves crafted and created — a testament to a lifetime of dedication and excellence.
But the work really isn’t really finished, is it?