BRIDGING THE GAP
Banban mat-weaving in Dumalag, Capiz
One folk craft that is in danger of becoming extinct is the banban mat-weaving found in Duran, Dumalag, Capiz. In the 1980s and the 1990s, there were still three families who were engaged in the making of banban mat in Duran but, nowadays, there is only one family that is still willing to do the craft if there are orders. A major contributory factor to the decline of the craft is the availability of mats made of plastic and synthetic materials that are deemed durable than the local natural materials. The other factor is that the skills necessary to continue the craft has not been transferred to the younger generation for their lack of interest in it.
Banban as a plant grows abundantly in the interior sections of Duran, especially in areas along the river banks where bamboo clumps can also be found. The plant grows in cloisters and stands from five to seven feet in height, the stalk of which has an average diameter of about two inches. It is dark green in appearance but tends to turn lighter as it matures and has a smooth surface. The branches and leaves are situated only at the top. Inside the stalk, when cut into halves, is a whitish pulp that is discarded in the making of banban mats.
In the past, banban mat was in popular demand in many barangays and in the town of Dumalag. This is so because banban mat is smoother and cooler compared to buri mat which is more common in the area due to the abundance of buri palm. Besides, buri mat has a rough surface that sometimes sticks to one's clothing when he lies down.
Banban mat is a little more expensive than buri mat because it takes a longer period of time to finish it. It takes about two days to finish a double (good for two persons) and about one day to complete a single (good for one individual), while buri mat requires only half the time. The reason for this is that the preparation alone of the strips of banban for weaving is a more complicated process than the one involved in the buri strips. To come up with one piece of banban mat, once has to prepare so many strips from about 120 stalks of the plant, according to Mrs. Rosita Castor, a pioneer in banban mat-making in Duran.
The choice of the banban stalks for mat weaving depends upon its maturity and length. Also, it should be pointed out that the cutting of it should be done during good weather for it is important that banban must be dry before it is woven. One could easily determine whether the banban plant is already mature or not through its appearance. The mature one is semi-brownish in color, while the young one is dark-green. Also, the mature one has from three to four tiny branches on top, while the immature one has only one or two. The desirable length is from one and one-half meters to two meters.
The first step in the making of banban mat is called guray. This involves the splitting of the stalks into halves and afterwards into smaller strips by the use of a knife or a bolo. After the guray comes the sukdap. This is the step where the sinukdap or small strips of banban are separated from the tinai or the pulp. Here, it is significant to note that no bladed tool is used but just the nail of the thumb.
The third step is called rara or the weaving proper. In this step the cleaned strips of banban are now woven, following a definite pattern. Variations in color are provided by scraping the outer skin of the banban stalks to get the greenish hue. The scraped strips are generally the ones that are used in making designs that appear on the center or peripheral sections of the mat.
When the desired length and width are attained, depending upon the length of the banban stalk, the outer edges of the woven strips are bent. This process is called the preparation of the sapay, the purpose of which is to strengthen the margins of the mat and to reinforce the pamusod or corners.
The last step is called the pamusod where the margins and corners of the mat are finalized. This last step is crucial because it is here where the skill of the weaver would determine whether the finished product will last long or not.