Participating artist in Andi taku e sana, Amung taku di sana / All of us present, This is our gathering, featured exhibition of the Philippine Pavilion in the 59th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia 

Sammy belongs to the younger generation of weaving artisans of Ifugao Province. He comes from a family of weavers who taught him the art of weaving at an early age. Born in 1989 in Banaue, he acknowledges his maternal grandmother Kittayan Niploy, a respected and well-known weaver in her time, and his mother Angelina Niploy who continues to weave using a backstrap loom. His father Fernando Buhle specializes in dyeing and is a weaver as well. He studied management accounting at St. Mary’s University and accounting at Aldersgate College in Nueva Vizcaya but decided to pursue his passion for weaving. He now handles the family weaving house and actively participates in textile fairs.

Yung family ko po kasi ay family of weavers kaya lagi ko pong nakikita yung ginagawa nila. Kaya kung wala po akong ginagawa, nakikipagtrabaho po ako sa kanila. Nakikita ko po na nahihirapan po yung magulang ko minsan kaya kinakaya ko po ang mga hindi na nila kinakaya at madali ko po kasing nakuha ang skill ng pagwe-weave. Siguro nasa linya talaga namin ang weaving. Kasi ang mga lolo naming, weaver din silang lahat.

I grew up in a family of weavers and I always saw them weaving. If I wasn’t doing anything, I would join them. There were times when I saw my parents struggling with the work so I would help, and eventually I learned the skill of weaving. I suppose it’s really in our blood because our grandparents are also weavers.

Actually, mga 7 years old po ako noon. Mayroon na po akong background sa weaving pero noong 11 years old po ako nag-start ng production. Until eventually natapos ko po ang pag-aaral ko tapos wala pong opportunity kaya by 20 years old po ako naghabi na po talaga ako.

Actually, I was around 7 years old then. I already had background in weaving but it was only until I was 11 years old when I started production. Eventually, I finished college and there weren’t any opportunities at the time, so by 20 years old, I started weaving full-time.

Ngayon, marami na po. Pero dati yung father ko, siya ang nauna. Nakita ng mga kapitbahay namin kung paano maghabi kaya parang na-inspire sila. Nalaman din nila na kayang-kaya din ng mga kalalakihan ang maghabi. Maraming na po kaming mga lalaki na naghahabi dito.

Now, the number is growing. My father used to be the only one who wove; then our male neighbors saw him and they got inspired. They realized that they too can weave.

Wala naman po dahil alam namin na marangal ang ginagawa namin. Sa totoo po ay maraming kalalakihan din ang gusto matutong maghabi kaso hesitant sila na sumali kasi nga po sa ganiyang pag-iisip. Pero sa amin bale wala na po yung mga ganyan. Mas mabuti pa nga po na may ginagawa kami kaysa wala na nakatambay lang.

None, because they know that we are making an honest living. As a matter of fact, many men want to learn how to weave but have reseravations because of the stigma against it. It’s better to weave than to just hang around and not do anything.

Halos po lahat. Para sa akin po kasi ay pantay-pantay po ang aking mga nagagawang tela.. Pero sa ngayon po wala pa akong masasabi na pinaka-gusto ko.

Almost all of them. To me, they are of equal importance. At the moment, I can’t say I have a favorite one.

Sa tingin ko po ay yung sa World Trade Center, noong naimbitahan po kami sa ASEAN event. Kasi hindi ko po ine-expect noon na lahat po ng bisita ni Senator Legarda na mga ambassador nandoon. Nagulat po talaga ako noon. Yung mga bisita pa po noong ay mga special o importanteng mga tao dahil naalala ko naksarado po yung place noong tapos sobrang daming security. Yung isa po ay masasabi ko yung fair po sa PICC noong naimbitahan po kami ng PhilFIDA. Yun po yung mga memorable sa akin.

I suppose it was the one held at the World Trade Center, when we were invited to an ASEAN event. I didn’t expect Senator Legarda’s guests – many of whom were ambassadors – to attend. I was really surprised. The guests were very special and important people because the place was exclusively for the event and there were a lot of security. Another event was the fair at PICC where I was invited by PhilFIDA. Those were my most memorable events.

Hindi lang po pero, dahil sa rason na sa dami po namin, ako po ang napiling mag-represent ng mga manghahabi mula dito sa Norte, sa Cordilera po.

Not only that. It was because among many weavers, I was selected to represent the weavers from the North, particularly from Cordillera.

Noong una, parang wala po talaga kasi feeling ko normal na trabaho lang po ang aking ginagawa. Tapos sinabi sa akin ni Sir Gerry Tan na dahil kasama ko sila sa trabaho na ito, taasan ko daw ang aking expectation. Ang sa akin po ay gagawin ko po yung trabaho ko. Tapos hindi ko po talaga inaasahan yung ganitong pangyayari.

In the beginning, I didn’t think much if it because I thought it was just work tat I had to do. Then Sir Gerry Tan told me that because I was working with them, I had to make my expectations higher. To me, it was just a job that I had to do. I didn’t expect that this would happen.

Yung tradisyonal na design po kasi kung susundin ko lang po iyon. Yung ginagawa ko po ngayon, binabagay ko po sa kasalukuyan. Ngayong panahon po, ang mga customers po namin ay gusto ng bagong designs. Kaya po naglibot-libot ako sa Maynila at na-observe ko po yung magugustuhan nilang designs. Ang ginagawa ko hinahalo ko ang tradisyonal naming paraan at yung mga gusto po ng aming customers.

For traditional designs, I just follow them. But what I create now is based on the current trends. These days, our customers like new designs. That is why I went around Manila and I observed the designs they preferred. What I do is combine traditional techniques with what customers like.

Actually yung pong matatanda dito sa amin, natututo rin po sila sa akin dahil sila rin po gusto nilang i-modernize yung kanilang mga production. Kaso lang yung ginagawa pa rin nila ay yung tradisyonal na paraan kaya nahihirapan po silang mag-adjust. Kaya sila po ay pumipilit talaga na matuto sa akin. Wala naman po silang comments sa aking mga ginagawa. Ang ayaw po talaga nila ay yung nagagamit yung ibang tela na ginagamit po sa aming tradisyon sa ritwal at okasyon – ito po kasing mga tela ay hindi dapat gagamit. Gusto pa rin po nilang bigyan ng respeto ang tela.

Actually, they also learn form me because they want to modernize their production. However, they are still very traditional, making it difficult for them to adjust. That is why they really want to learn fro me. They don’t have any comments with my work. What they don’t like is to use textiles that are used during rituals or special occasions. They want to respect these textiles.

Sa ngayon po yung pamilya ko po, my two daughters and my wife at siyempre ang mga magulang ko po.

At the moment, it is my family, my two daughters and my wife, and of course my parents.

Early in the morning po tsaka po late afternoon po. Kasi kapag po sa tanghali medyo inaantok po. Dito po kasi malamig kaya ang pinaka-magandang oras ay yung 5am hanggang 9am. Sa hapon naman po, 3pm hanggan 10pm.

Early in the morning and in the late afternoon. It’s too hot at noon and I get sleepy in the early afternoon. It’s cold here so the best time is at 5:00 AM until 9:00 AM. In the afternoon, 3:00 PM until 10:00 PM.

Ang first po ay Learn, dahil kailangan ko pong matuto pa. Pangalawa ay Inspire, dahil kailangan ko rin po kasi ma-inspire ang aking community para magtuloy-tuloy po ang aming paghahabi. Pangatlo po ay Create.

First is Learn, because I need to learn more. Second is Inspire because I also need to inspire my community to continue our weaving practice. Last is Create.

Dati po parang wala po sa akin pero noong matapos ko sila, medyo nagbago ang tingin ko sa mga tela. Una, kakaiba po ang mga designs. Sa mga design po kasi na-articulate po ang music at ang gawa po ni sir Gerry Tan. Mula po sa akin, ibang-iba po talaga ang mga designs at hindi ko siya ma-visualize o mabigyan ng description.

At first, nothing much, but when I finished working on them, my perspective slightly changed. First, the designs are unique. It is through the designs that the music [sounds] are articulated, as well as the work of Sir Gerry Tan. In my opinion, the designs are so unique and I can’t even describe them.

Ayon po sa kanila, pumunta daw po sila ng Baguio at naghanap ng weaver, pero hindi daw po nila kaya i-weave yung mga design. So nakilala ko po nila Dr. Fe at si Sir Gerry noong pinakilala po ako noong UP professor na si Dr. Analyn Salvador – si Doc Ikin po sa UP Baguio. Nagpunta po sila dito at doon po nila ako nakilala. Doon ko rin po sinimulan yung unang tela na pinagawa po nila sa akin.

According to them, they went to Baguio to find a weaver, but couldn’t find one that could weave the designs. So Dr. Fe and Sir Gerry met UP professor Dr. Analyn Salvador – Dr. Ikin of UP Baguio. They came here and that’s how we met. That’s when I started working on the textile they asked me to make.

Ako po yung naghahabi sa ginagawa nilang designs. Ako po yung gumagawa ng mga habi through ikat tie-dye process.

I weave the designs they create. I weave using the ikat tie-dye process.

Kung minsan po kasi kailangan kong mag-adjust sa design, pero kung minsan makikita mo naman kung hindi po magandang tingin kung maipapalabas po ang design. Then tinatanggap naman po ito ni Sir Gerry. Sa mga calculation naman po ng tela, kailangan po na nandoon ako bago po i-finalize ang sketch. Sa dulong bahagi po, tinitingnan ko po ito at kung mayroon kailangan baguhin, sinasabi ko po ito sa kanila.

Sometimes, I need to adjust to the design, but sometimes, you’ll see that the results won’t look good. Sir Gerry accepts my recommendations. In my calculations of the textile, I need to be there before the sketch is finalized. At the end of the process, I look if there are any changes that need to be made and I tell them.

Marami rin po. Sa una, kung paano ko sisimulan; kasi kapag sinimulan mo na ang tela, hindi ka na puwedeng magkamali. Lahat kasi yun masisira, kasi kung ano yung pattern mo, ito rin ang pattern mo hanggang dulo. Kaya kapag nagsisimula ako, kailagan kong i-calculate lahat at pag-isipan mabuti kung paano ko gagawin ang mga designs. Mahirap po yung mga designs kasi iba-iba po talaga siya. Hindi yung kung ano yung ginawa mo sa isang fabric siya din ang gagawain mo sa ibang pang fabric. Actually po inabot ako ng 3 days sa pag-iisip kung paano ko ie-execute yung mga designs.

A lot. At first, I had to figure out how to start it out, because if you start the textile, you can’t make any mistakes. Your pattern from the beginning will be the pattern until the event. That’s why when I start, I need to calculate everything and think about how I will execute the designs. It was difficult because all the designs were different. It’s not like what you did in one textile is the same thing you will do to the other textile.

Opo kailangan po talaga yun. Yung isa po sa T’boli, napanaginipan ko na natapos ko na yung paghabi. Pero sa totoo po, hindi pa pala siya nasisimulan. Tapos sa panaginip ko, naaalala ko kung paano siya ginagawa kaya doon ko po binase. Nakita ko po talaga sa panaginip ko na natapos ko po kaya naalala ko kung paano ko ginagawa.

Improvisation is very important. In the T’boli textile, I dreamt that I finished weaving it. In reality, I haven’t even started it yet. In remember how I did it in my dream so that’s how I based it. I really saw it in my dream and that is why I remember how I made it.

Ang pinaka-natutuhan ko po ay kung may pagkakamali, kailangan ulitin ang gawa.

What I learned is that when you make a mistake, you really need to do it again.

Pero wala po kasing magagawa. Sa amin po kasi kapag nagkamali, ise-set aside lang po namin ang tela then babaguhin po ang designs. Hindi po gaya noong ngayon ito po sa exhibition, kailangan mo talagang ulitin yung buong proseso ng isang tela. Yun po yung natutuhan, bilang isang manghahabi, ako po ay maingat din naman, pero kung nagkamali, uulitin po ang tela kahit mahirap po.

But there’s nothing you can do about it. When I used to make mistakes, I would just set aside the textile and revise the designs. Unlike in this exhibition, I really had to redo the entire process. That’s what I learned, that as a weaver, even if I’m carefeul, I need to redo it if I make a mistake – even if it’s difficult.

Hindi po ako yung nagsasabi niya pero yung ibang weavers po sinasabi nila sa akin yan. Sabi nila strikto daw ako pero sa aking tingin sa sarili ko hindi naman ako perfectionist.

No but other weavers in our area tell me I am. They say I’m strict but I don’t see that in mysef.