National living treasure Magdalena Gamayo shows off the shroud for former President Ferdinand E. Marcos. (Alaric Yanos) |
By Leilanie G.
Adriano
Staff reporter
PINILI, Ilocos
Norte—A pure white abel Iloko [handwoven cloth] measuring seven and a half
yards is now being prepared as a shroud and pillow case for the scheduled
burial of President Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani next
month. The shroud will go along with the bronze casket imported from the United
States of America.
Personally
handwoven by national living treasure Magdalena Gamayo said it is an “honor and
great privilege to make the former President’s shroud and pillow case.
Ms. Gamayo is 93
years old a master abel weaver from Brgy. Lumbaan Bicbica in this town.
“I am deeply
honored to make his blanket and pillow case for his burial. I have seen him
visit our village when he was President,” said Ms. Gamayo adding she will give
it as a “gift to the best President the Philippines ever had.”
National living treasure Magdalena Gamayo works on the shroud for former President Ferdinand E. Marcos. (Alaric Yanos) |
Awarded as a Gawad
Manlilikha ng Bayan by then President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino in November 2012, Ms. Gamayo is known
for her master weaving skills she learned at the age of 16. Her handwoven
products are much sought after by many, including Ilocos Norte Governor Maria
Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, a self-confessed abel lover. Her abel creations have
more intrinsic designs that other inabel products.
She disclosed it
was the governor’s idea to have an abel blanket and pillow case for his
father.
A touch of abel in
every corner of the Marcos birthplace turned museum, including the Marcos
mansion and heritage house in Batac City—from blankets, pillow cases, old
clothes of Marcos, bed sheets and table runner are evident, showcasing the
Marcoses’ love for abel products.
In what used to be
a lowly abel cloth used by older Ilocanos when they go to the market or to the
farm, Marivic Adena, a resident of Laoag City said the use of Abel Iloko as
President Marcos’ burial shroud and pillow is great boost to the dying abel
industry.
According to
Melchora Ver Dragon, a retired teacher from Sarrat and who is also a relative
of the former President said, “It’s a big honor for us in Sarrat that we have a
produced a President like him. How I wish that he will just be buried here so
that we will not miss him that much.”
Ms. Dragon said Mr.
Marcos’ grandmother was also an abel weaver in Sarrat where the young Marcos
may have learned some tricks in abel weaving.
“His grandmother
was a weaver too and we have seen his fascination of the abel cloth when he was
still young,” Ms. Dragon recalled about the young Mr. Marcos then.
As Mr. Marcos is
expected to be brought to Sarrat before he will be flown to Manila, Ms. Dragon
said they have already organized along with the relatives to go to Santa Monica
church during his scheduled wake to pay their last respects.
“We will gonna miss
him very much,” Ms. Dragon stressed.
As of this posting,
the Marcos mausoleum remains closed until Governor Marcos, who is in charge of
the preparation reopens it for public viewing again.
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