Julita Magallanes (left) and women weavers of Nogueras Weaving show years of expertise that made Bangar, La Union the “home of inabel”.
WEAVING WONDERS: Sustaining Bangar as Home of Inabel
Text and photos by Hanna C. Lacsamana
Sixty-seven-year old Julita Magallanes of Barangay Maria Cristina East, Bangar, La Union started weaving abel or inabel ( handwoven fabrics) when she was in high school, learning the craft by watching her mother work, who in turn was a student of Magallanes’ grandmother.
Display of well-crafted handwoven items for sale.
Magallanes decided to forego college, and later became one of Bangar’s pioneer loom weavers, making Bangar the “home of inabel” – known for its unique blankets, pillow cases, and other beautiful pieces of handwoven products – and continuing the tradition.
Magallanes now works as one of the women loom weavers of Nogueras Weaving, which has supported her family’s needs and education of her children through the years. Her only hope is for the younger generations of Bangar town to follow their footsteps in order to sustain the loom weaving industry.
“Para kapag mawawala na kami, may sumusunod na maghahabi dito sa Bangar (So that when we pass on, there will be those who will continue weaving here in Bangar),” Magallanes said.
Arthur Olpindo of Nagsabaran, Bangar, La Union, prepares threads to be used by loom weavers of Nogueras Weaving as they weave their tradition in every thread, making their abel more than a fabric. It captures the spirit of community and craft sustained through generations.
Bangar leaders have the same goal: to preserve the inabel industry that provides Bangar natives a reason to be proud.
Rodrigo Sarmiento Jr. Municipal Public Employment Service Office manager, says compared to other woven products, Bangar’s inabel, particularly the blankets, “adopt to the weather and its durability is something that we are proud of.”
Unique designs make these handmade articles attractive to local and international buyers.
“You can see the difference in the materials that our loom weavers use since way back many years ago. The raw materials we have been using are local and unique to our municipality,” Sarmiento explained.
Despite new technologies in textile production, Sarmiento said Bangar weavers continue to weave the traditional way because it is a trademark and it is more interesting to do it this time-tested way. More importantly, it keeps Bangar’s culture and identity.
In support of their inabel weavers, organized under the Bangar Inabel Association, different programs and projects are part of the annual cultural plan of the municipality under the leadership of Mayor Joy Pinzon-Merin.
“We want to preserve the industry. To preserve our cultural heritage, we have an Abel Academy which aims to teach and train our young generation on abel,” he said.
Started in 2024, the Abel Academy in partnership with the provincial government of La Union targets interested youths, out-of-school youth, women, differently-abled persons, and others to learn the craft and apply the skill hands-on.
They also assist them in marketing their products and ensure assistance, together with concerned national government agencies, for them to come up with other items made of the local fabric aside from the well-known blankets.
To date, every Bangar barangay has someone who weaves, and they make up the more or less 600 weavers who are under the abel centers of De Castro and Nogueras, as well as independent individuals.
The first Inabel Academy, a three-day training activity, was hosted by Nogueras Weaving.
“We are thankful to our weavers because with them nagkakaroon kami ng mga products na maipagmamalaki through the years. And so we promote our inabel not only to boost our economy, but also help our artisans.”
About Nogueras Weaving
Nogueras Weaving was founded in 1984 by Tita Dacio Nogueras, born and raised in Bangar. The business started with a dream of having a comfortable life in the future and providing the basic needs for her family.
With perseverance and hardwork, Nogueras was able to let her small business grow and prosper. She then hired loom weavers who are mostly mothers and helped them provide for their own families as well.
The loom weaving industry continues up to now, produces beautiful pieces and has become popular not only in Bangar and whole of La Union but also all over the country and the world.
In a profile, Nogueras explained that inabel products go through an intricate process. From preparing the material and wooden looms, to warping threads, to designing, and to weaving, it is best to say that Nogueras’ products are made from love, time, and effort.
Between producing more products with machines and weaving textiles manually, Nogueras still chooses to preserve the beauty of its handwoven fabrics because designing their products manually makes them unique. Nogueras weavers can produce beautiful designs even if they lack formal training, making their loom weaving a natural talent.
“Choose, buy, and love local. Every purchase is a great help to our dying cultural practices. When buying an inabel, you don’t only buy a piece, but the whole history and a great story,” Nogueras said.
