About her craft

Salinta Monon is known for weaving their traditional tagabawa bagobo textile called “inabal” (ikat-dyed woven abaca cloth) The inabal is considered as a symbol of wealth, offerings to their deities, and gifts. And this type of weaving is currently in the brink of extinction as she is the last weaver in their tribe. Her art is recognized due to it’s high quality and complication of her designs, making her unmatchable and irreplaceable. One of her amazing skills is identifying the type of weaving and author by just a glance of the eyes. A type of skill that needs years of learning and experience.

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The process in making a fabric requires patience and hardwork as they first needed to stripe the abaca plant to get the fiber for textile, dry the threads, and tying each strand by hand. Next is the most delicate task, which is setting the strands on the bed-tying bamboo frame. The bud or the tying of abaca fiber is what makes the design. 

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Due to the nature of her designs, her art usually takes 3-4 months to finish. The fabric is measured 3.5 meter by 42 cm in length or one abaca skirt tube skirt per month. She already mastered the art of weaving the design “binuwaya” (crocodile) which is considered as one of the most hardest design.