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Magdalena Gamayo (born August 13, 1924) is a Filipino weaver who is a lead-practitioner of the Ilocano tradition of ''pinagabel''.
On November 8, 2012, she was conferred the National Living Treasure Award, the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan under R.A. 7355 by the
Background
Magdalena Gamayo, a native of thecotton
Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
farming Barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
of Lumbaan-Bicbica, Pinili, Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte (), officially the Province of Ilocos Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. It is located in the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to t ...
, learned the Ilocano weaving tradition of making ''inabel'' from her aunt at age 16. She taught herself on how to execute the traditional patterns of ''binakol'', ''inuritan'' (geometric design), ''kusikos'' (orange-like spiral forms), and ''sinan-sabong'' (flowers). She became best known for weaving the ''sinan-sabong'', since it is the most challenging pattern among the four.
Her father bought her first loom, made by a local craftsman using ''sag'gat'' hardwood. Gamayo's loom lasted for 30 years. Already past 80 years old, Gamayo remained committed in making ''inabel''.
On November 8, 2012, she was conferred the National Living Treasure Award, the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan under R.A. 7355 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines (NCCA; , ) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. It is the overall policy making body, coordinating, and grants giving agency for the preservation, d ...
and Proclamation No. 474.
In late 2016, the House of Inabel was inaugurated enabling Gamayo to further promote ''pinagabel''.
On August 13, 2024, President Marcos Jr.'s Proclamation No. 664 declared August 13, 2024 – August 12, 2025 as the "Centennial Year of Manlilikha ng Bayan Magdalena Gamayo." "Nana Dalen" is the oldest living Ilocano master weaver.
References
External links
* 1924 births Filipino weavers National Living Treasures of the Philippines People from Ilocos Norte 20th-century Filipino artists 21st-century Filipino artists Living people {{Philippines-artist-stub