Darhata Sawabi

Born: March 4, 1943

Died: March 12, 2005 (age 62 years)

Style: Pis syabit weaving

Nationality: Filipino, Philippine

Known for: Textile

Awards: National Living

Treasure Award; 2004

In Barangay Parang, in the

island of Jolo, Sulu province,

women weavers are hard at

work weaving the pis syabit,

the traditional cloth tapestry

worn as a head covering by

the Tausug of Jolo. “This is

what we’ve grown up with,”

say the weavers. “It is

something we’ve learned

from our mothers.” Darhata

Sawabi is one of those who

took the art of pis syabit

making to heart.

° In 2004, Sawabi's

dedication to the art of

Pis Syabit weaving as

well as her resilience

during the struggle

earned her recognition

as the National Living

Treasures or the Gawad

sa Manlilikha ng Bayan

(GAMABA) awardee. The

Pis Syabit tapestry

became the official

representation of the

Tausug spirit and

resilience.

Pis syabit weaving is a difficult art. Preparing the warp alone

already takes three days. It is a very mechanical task,

consisting of stringing black and red threads across a

banana and bamboo frame to form the base of the tapestry.

At 48, and burdened by years of hard work, Sawabi no longer

has the strength or the stamina for this. Instead, she hires

one of the neighboring children or apprentice weavers to do

it at the cost of P300. It is a substantial amount, considering

the fact that she still has to spend for thread. Sawabi’s

typical creations feature several colors, including the basic

black and red that form the warp, and a particular color can

require up to eight cones, depending on the role it plays in

the design. All in all, it comes up to considerable capital

which she can only recover after much time and effort.

Sawabi remains faithful to

the art of pis syabit

weaving. Her strokes are

firm and sure, her color

sensitivity acute, and her

dedication to the quality of

her products unwavering.

She recognizes the need for her to remain in the

community and continue with her mission to teach the

art of pis syabit weaving. She had, after all, already

been teaching the young women of Parang how to

make a living from their woven fabrics. Some of her

students are already teachers themselves. She looks

forward to sharing the tradition of pis syabit weaving

to the younger generations.