A Preliminary Study on the Meranaw Traditional Balod 67 “Tie-Dye” Technique in Weaving

Abstract

This paper is a historical narrative study documenting two of the most ancient living Meranaw cultural heritage: weaving and tie-dyeing. These century-old surviving crafts serve as a testament to a long standing contacts and trade relation between the Philippines and her neighbouring countries such as India, China and the Asian countries more particularly Indonesia whose Ikat weaving style closely resembles the Meranaw balod technique in weaving. What links the Philippines with these countries and what finds the Meranaw more similar with the weaving tribes in Northern Luzon and Southern Mindanao are the similarities in their weaving culture. Highlights of this paper include the origin of the Meranaw balod technique in weaving, the ingenuity of the Meranaws with regards to the use of natural and indigenous raw materials for weaving such as plant fibers and the concoction of different plants and vegetables to produce dyes, and some mythical performances, ceremonies, and ritual offerings associated with the weaving and balod craftsmanship. This paper recommends the preservation of the Meranaw weaving cultural heritage through continuous recording or documenting, archiving, preserving them in their living form and ensuring its transmission to the next generation.