Abel Iloko

Abel is the Ilocano term that refers to the process of weaving, while inabel is the final woven product (although the terms are now used interchangeably). Loom weaving was prevalent when people had to make their own clothing and blankets using spun cotton from the cotton plants they themselves grew. With the advent of cheap machine made cloth, this once thriving industry collapsed, and there are now fewer sources.

For Ilocanos, the banderado is the simplest design of all – consisting of two-tone stripes on the sides, or in the middle of the fabric. This is probably one of the oldest designs, one that is slowly going out of favor, most users now preferring newer and more elaborate designs. In Ilocos Sur, the design is called cantarinis, a material originally used for sailcloths. Binakol, with its op-art swirls called kosikos, is another old but sophisticated abel design.

While the patterns of Ilocano abel are similar, there are subtle differences in color combinations, and the thickness of the weave—from gossamer mosquito nets to thick brocades and embroidery. There are likewise myriad shapes—pineapples, grapes, turkeys, horses, even the two-headed eagle (which is not really as strange as it seems because the bird is also one of the symbols of the Augustinians, who were among the first missionaries in the north). In the story of Lam-ang the epic Ilocano hero, he has a two-headed chicken called Gik-gik for a pet—suggesting that the image of the two headed eagle was appropriated to illustrate the mythical bird.

The most sophisticated abels are the monotones with very fine, and subtle patterns (tiny diamonds within diamonds, circles, squares and other geometric shapes). “Insukit” refers to the patterns “inserted” during the weaving process, the most common ones being diamonds, rositas (after the elaborate flower-like design used for rings and earrings), ik-ikan (fish), among others. “Palawlaw” refers to the border design that goes “around” the blanket.

Ilocos Norte has a few remaining weaving centers, but as the weavers grow older, the prospects for sustaining loom weaving are dim. The Silangan Foundation for the Arts, Culture and Ecology, in cooperation with The Sitio Remedios Heritage Corporation, is helping sustain small weavers and cooperatives by buying their production, and selling them in a few exclusive outlets, including the Boston and Pinto Art Galleries.