Login Menu
Who's Online
No Users Online
Jan
22
2007
| TUGAYA : Trading Traditional Arts |
|
|
|
| Written by Samira Gutoc | ||||||||
| Monday, 22 January 2007 | ||||||||
Page 1 of 6 HOME OF the Sultanates, sarimanok, and Islam: Visiting Lanao del Sur province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is like going back to centuries ago when women walked around gracefully in their malongs (wrap-around clothing) and men who had betel-stained golden teeth played chess all day. But although being transported to a place that seems stuck in time could be soothing to a frazzled urbanite, the truth is Lanao del Sur is that way largely because it is one of the poorest provinces in the country, while ARMM is the poorest region in the Philippines in all indicators of human development.In a little town called Tugaya, however, keeping alive the traditional arts and crafts of Lanao del Sur’s predominant tribe has meant not only the preservation of a unique culture, but also having reliable sources of income for many of its residents. And in the last few years, business has become even better for Tugaya artisans and entrepreneurs, who have also increased in number. To do this, the Tugaya municipal government headed by Mayor Alimatar Guroalim used as guide the suggestions of the townspeople themselves on how to improve the local economy. The young mayor also put in place a system that has helped reduce political conflicts in Tugaya, which has at least nine major clans that used to find it difficult to see eye to eye. It has been said that poverty in ARMM is a product of the sporadic wars caused mainly by local resistance to outside forces. Tugaya also used to erupt in conflicts between clans that often turned deadly, but now the sounds one hears in the town are usually the whiz, hiss, buzz, and bangs created by artisans hard at work, and not gunshots or bloodcurdling screams. Turn a corner or enter a home, and one is bound to find someone bent over a loom, pouring melted metal into moulds, or putting the finishing touches on an intricately carved chest, wall décor, or giant drum (which is said to have been used in the past by the sultan to call his people to meetings). Brassware trader and woodcraftsman Alamin says proudly that he has foreign customers always in wait for his carved wooden boxes. He says he even has a catalogue of his designs, but he is careful not to show it to just anyone since he has no desire to have copycats. Many of Tugaya’s married women, meanwhile, are glad they now have a better chance of becoming financially independent – unlike those in other towns in ARMM who have little access to employment. The municipal government had apparently listened when Tugaya’s women said they needed help to get started in business; now there is a capital-assistance program just for them. Says Ameena, a weaver: “I am able to be a productive and independent mother…Earning is a means to empower ourselves.” Tugaya, of course, has long been known as the home of the arts and crafts of the Maranao tribe, to which many people in Lanao del Sur belong. But it was not until last June, when it marked yet another founding anniversary, that Tugaya dared call itself the “Industrial Capital of Lanao del Sur.” WITH A population of about 22,000, Tugaya has 23 barangays occupying some 4,028 hectares. The townfolk also fish and do marginal farming, but the main source of livelihood in Tugaya remains arts and crafts. Indeed, one can actually tell where he or she is in Tugaya just by looking at what is being made in the area. The barangays of Lumbac, Bubong, and Pandiaranao for instance are into brassware-making. Sugod - I, Ingud Poblacion, Dilimbayan, and Tangcal specialize in woodcarving and making inlaid chests. Barangay Lumbac, meanwhile, is known for its malong and langkit (trimmings with ethnic designs). |
||||||||
| Last Updated ( Monday, 22 January 2007 ) | ||||||||
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Copyright © 2008 #Marawi Undernet - Islamic City of Marawi. Moslemen M. Macarambon Jr.
Maintained and Developed by Wyzemoro Solutions and Hosted by Moro Web Hosting
Maintained and Developed by Wyzemoro Solutions and Hosted by Moro Web Hosting