{"id":6255,"date":"2023-04-11T18:34:30","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T10:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rasmitmug.com\/main\/?page_id=6255"},"modified":"2023-04-16T14:13:41","modified_gmt":"2023-04-16T06:13:41","slug":"public-third-place","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rasmitmug.com\/main\/public-third-place\/","title":{"rendered":"PUBLIC THIRD PLACE"},"content":{"rendered":"

ROOTEDNESS OF TUGAYA ARTISANS TO THEIR IDENTITY AND CULTURE <\/strong><\/p>\n

By Fayruzah Absary<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 For those who have lived in the comforts of growing cities and progressing technologies, that sense of wonder and connection to one’s nature and culture can sometimes be forgotten.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The Municipality of Tugaya, situated beside the Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur, tucked away from the bustling sound of neighboring towns, the hammers pounding, slices of wood being shaved off and metals being forged can be heard and seen on normal days in the town. Here in Tugaya, ancient crafts dating hundreds of
\nyears ago is very much alive. Art, culture, and nature shaped the civilization
\nin Tugaya surviving colonization and extinction. To sustain their basic needs, artisans found a beautiful way of combining both their art and business.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Tugaya is famously and gloriously known to be the home of M\u2019ranao artisans. It is a rare sight to see people loitering in the streets. Men, women, old and young
\ncan be seen in their workshops to be brass making, wood carving, blacksmithing or weaving.<\/p>\n

Agong <\/em>paired with kulintang <\/em>and debakan <\/em>are antique musical instruments
\nthat is rarely used by M\u2019ranaos on special events, although it was more common before the existence of a modernized musical tools. Landap <\/em>is a skirt handwoven
\nwith intricate designs unique to M\u2019ranaos, the langkit<\/em>. What truly makes
\nTugaya is the cultural significance of the products they make. A thousand years
\nof art, undisturbed by the pressure of change and progress.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 However, don\u2019t try to descend into a poetic admiration of the beauty of preserving a culture as it had its own downs that were close to irrecoverability.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The making of these antique products is nowhere near easy. With the advent of
\nmachines to cutdown some time and labor, the artisans take pride in doing most
\nof the work by their hands. Kantir<\/em>, a huge antique bed designed and inlayed
\nwith shells, can sometimes take two years to finish with three or more person working on it. Brass gador, <\/em>an aesthetic ceremonial or ornamental jar, silver-inlayed,
\ncan also take years. Not only is it time-consuming but it can also be dangerous
\nas they forge metals in an immense heat and carve woods with precision.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 When the siege happened in Marawi City, the commercial center of the province of Lanao del Sur, the local industry in Tugaya was badly hit. Most products of artisans are sold in the markets of Marawi, thus, without it, the demand for their products is decreased. The local government of Tugaya at that time made a desperate but successful attempt in reviving the industry by bringing their<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 products online. And just when they were thriving again, the pandemic and lockdowns happened. Crisis like these are overcome by the collective efforts of both
\nlocal government and artisans but it goes without saying that a much more
\nsupport and recognition from all sectors is needed to stabilize and promote the industry.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Despite the glory of being not just an artisan but also a culture-bearer, the economic status of an artisan can sometimes be dire. The market cannot always be stable. There will be days where no clients will place orders. Foreigners from all over
\nthe world visits their workshops but as the time shifts to another era, without support, we fear this ancient art to collapse.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Our increasingly urban world has been threatening the continuity and transmissibility
\nof this intricate culture. But with the establishment of Bangsamoro Government,
\nthere appears to be hope. With the attainment of peace throughout the region,
\nit also eased the worries of artisans in acquiring raw materials from the forests
\nwhere armed encounters used to happen. More representations of M\u2019ranaos are
\nseen in the government and with that, we expect a growing awareness from the government of the needs of Tugaya artisans. While the autonomy and resources
\ngiven to us back then disabling us to address problems, Bangsamoro Government
\nnow enjoys fiscal autonomy with the end in view of attaining economic self-sufficiency and genuine development. There is much hope that with our new-found autonomy, we can promote our culture and local industries more in a global
\nstage for a more prosperous region.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Tugaya artisans have shown remarkable ability to be rooted: to adhere in delicate art
\nthat has been passed downs from generations to generations without losing it- just like how the Bangsamoro remained unmoving in its desire to attain its right to self-determination. Tugaya artisans\u2019 long experience in their art and culture provides lessons for how we, Bangsamoro, shall move forward as a nation. Rootedness in one\u2019s identity- to never forget. Tenacity in enduring the hard times. Concerted
\nefforts in carving a peaceful and prosperous Bangsamoro region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ROOTEDNESS OF TUGAYA ARTISANS TO THEIR IDENTITY AND CULTURE By Fayruzah Absary \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 For those who have lived in the comforts of growing cities and progressing technologies, that sense of wonder and connection to one’s nature and culture can sometimes be forgotten. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The Municipality of Tugaya,…<\/p>\n

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