LU villagers’ life loom with weaving industry
BANGAR, La Union — A village in this town is known for its local weaving industry, producing the now famous ‘Abel Iloko’ cloth, a traditional fabric.
Lola Remedios Lucina, owner of RP Lucina Loomweaving based in Barangay Barraca said she started weaving in 1974, under the Marcos government’s Kilusang Kabuhayan sa Kaunlaran program established by former first lady Imelda Marcos.
Lucina had inherited the inabel craft from her mother-in-law as a means to sustain the family’s daily expenses. The craft allowed her to send four of her sons to college.
Lucina related the difficulties she encountered while mastering the weaving of inabel cloth. “Sa paggawa palang ng sinulid mahihirapan ka na.”
She learned the craft slowly, starting from processing the thread to threading the loom, and finally to creating the design. She also had to process the colors of the thread with natural dyes like the sap of a plum called “sagut” or the asueti, blackberry and other fruits.
Years later, the traditional way bowed out to the faster weaving process which used cotton and polyster thread that they purchased in Manila. “Para din mabilis ang paggawa naming ng abel,” she said.
Today, their hand-woven products are sold around Region 1 and NCR. The product development is supported by the Department of Industry’s one town, one product (OTOP) program.
The cloth is sold in various forms – blankets, towels, bedsheets.
There are many stories of how loom weaving has sent many children through college in that village. Lola Trifina Estrada, a neighbor of Lucina, sent her eight children to college with income from the cloth. They are now teachers. (Erwin G. Beleo)