Ilocanos use a method called “binakul” to make high-quality fabrics. Ilocos textiles have become so well-known because of this process. Because the design is so detailed, it’s easy to tell if a piece of cloth has been through the process described above. On the other hand, making textiles in the province of Cordillera is a lot easier.
It’s important to remember that the textile traditions of Ilocos and Cordillera are very similar in many ways. People worldwide know about the unusual fabrics made in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions. Both in how they look and are made, these two textiles can be different. But they are both from the Philippines, and most Filipinos live in areas with hills.
What are the most important things about the Kalinga cloth?
Symbols and elements from nature, like birds and animals, mountains, and the stars, were used in the design. More Kalinga weavings don’t use beads or the typical red and black stripes. People worldwide know about the unusual fabrics made in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions. Unlike the Ilocanos, the Cordillerans use simple geometric shapes in their work. Because they grew up in farming families, these weavers often used symbols from their lives to show what they did.
Which parts of the textile industries in Cagayan Valley and Mountain Province are the same?
One thing they have in common is that they both like black and white as a color scheme. Fabric is also used to put them together. In the mountains and valley of Cagayan, materials have a zigzag pattern, but in the plains, fabrics have stripes. For instance, Kalinga weavings are different from others in the area because they use beads and red and black stripes. The traditional weaving patterns and motifs of the Kalinga people have been passed down almost precisely from one generation to the next. Because each color and design detail has a special meaning, the weavers are careful not to change them.
