PARACELIS, Mountain Province – President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. recently honored Ampara Balansi Mabanag as one of the recipients of the Gawad Manlilikha awardee during a conferment ceremony held at the Metropolitan Theater Wednesday.
Mabanag is one of the nine traditional Filipino artists who were recognized during the aforesaid ceremony.
She was recognized as the town’s creator for Manu’bak and Ameru of the Ga’dang tribe. She said that her effort is part of the ongoing initiatives to keep the tradition of ‘Mnu’bak and Ameru’ which are the beadworks and embroidery of the tribe alive.
The said work will help in ensuring the eternal abundance of the Ga’dang’s legacy that will leave an indelible mark on generations to come.
She received from the President a commemorative plaque, an initial grant of P100,000 and a lifetime monthly stipend of P10,000.
The awardees have been entrusted to effectively and efficiently pass their knowledge to the community and the next generations by aggressively promoting their works and providing samples and copies of their work to the National Museum.
From 1993 to 2016, there were 16 individuals who were awarded the Gawad Manlilikha Award or the Town Creator Award.
Ga’dang garments are mostly red. These brightly colored clothes are woven by women and ornamented with beads, buttons, small coins, and shells such as mother-of-pearl. The female attire consists of a long-sleeved blouse called burawasi/burasi, a woven belt called bakwat, and the akken or wrap skirt.
Meanwhile, the male attire is composed of a collarless upper garment called kuton, g-string or loincloth called dinega/abbag, a cape or tappet/tapit, a head kerchief or barangal, or a round hat called saklong/soklong. For special occasions or ceremonies, a barangal, along with a fancy feathered headdress called daladal, is used. A male Ga’dang also hangs around his neck a bag called sayay/sayey where he places small personal items, betel nut, or lime containers.
Every single piece in these ensembles is embellished with sewn bukat or small beads, and oftentimes with beaded tassels. Bukat are dominantly red, yellow, black, white, and brown, which are colors that they regard as distinctly Ga’dang. Afu Amparo is known for her neat arrangement of bukat that forms well-crafted patterns and motifs mostly found in their surroundings. She also ensures that the designs stand out by meticulously organizing the beads based on their hues and contrasts. Additionally, Afu Amparo is acclaimed for her exquisite langi (inamata eye design pattern), ampigo (zigzag), amparat (embroidery stitch in the shape of a flower petal), and an-iyyong (small embroidery stitch on the hemlines of garments).
Afu Amparo learned the art of weaving, beadwork, and embroidery from her aunts at a young age. Today, she transfers her skills and knowledge to the younger generation while fostering a community that values culture and heritage.
Gov. Bonifacio C. Lawasan, Jr. commended Mabanag for her latest achievement, saying that the recent award that she received truly brought honor and pride to the people of Mountain Province. By Dexter A. See
