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                  Basic and primitive these are the words that comes into my mind when i think of the backstrap loom. a description not knowing that the fact that some of history's most beautiful and complex textile have been woven on this simple arragement of sticks. A simple loom, yet mysterious.... the most frequent question i ask whenever i see someone weaving is..."All those sticks where do they go and what do they do?" the puzziling collection of sticks and tangle of yarn magically comes to life and create a loom whenever the weaver sit and wear the "sakgetan", tensions the warps and start to weave. the backstrap loom is ideal for those who lack space for floor loom, would like to be able to take their weaving when they travel, or don't have money to invest on more sophisticated equipment. I am very luck to be living in a part of the world where backstrap is still in use today.Master weavers taught our group the technique in backstrap weaving. In this article, I will show you the basics of backstrap weaving while teaching you how to crete one. No one actually knew where or who started weaving, but it is believed that weaving came from the lowlands. it was then introduced to the highlands by Igorots who went to the lowlands and learned the art of weaving. the Igorots, in turn, taught their kailyans. Later, they again taught their lowland brothers.
B. Social and Political Implications The matmata indicates the status of the people who performed the highest level of canao. The eyelets design equates the number of animals butchered by the user during his most recent canao. It has a sub-level by number of eyes such as 9,11, 13 and 15. It is a traditoion that rich old men can use it. However, there are some considirations. Pinagpagan can also be used by an old man who passed down the canao tradition. A young man can also use it but he should have performed the canao required. It can be worn by someone who performed a canao with 15 pigs butchered at one time. For a woman 13 pigs can make her use such as blanket. Matmata is used to view a rich person who has performed the highest level of canao. The matmata also indicated the number of wakes. The tiktiko suggest wealth, abundance, reverence and high regard to whatever it stand for. Rice gives body nourishment and is usually reverence. the tiktiko X used to represent mortars and double lined diamonds matmata re perceived to represent rice grains. (Membrere, 2021) Cultural relevance of weaving A. Weaving as a family activity Weaving is an activity that can be compared to a family that help each other. It is a family activity where the father stands as the gadannan who holds the warp. While the mother stands as the atipan and baliga that also holds the end of the warp and the same time help build the fabric. The children as the taknangan, and the leletan that helps each other to hold and build the pattern of the thread. When the children created the pattern then the baliga or mother will tighten up the thread and create the fabric. Weaving is considered as a family activity because one person cannot do it alone with out the help of other. You cannot weave without the father holding the warp and same goes with the mother and the children. One cannot do all the work when weaving same goes when weaving, each task is distributed to one another to create a fabric. One person is all you need when weaving but the roles of each tool and gadget has their own role and work when weaving. (Saong, 2021) B. Significance to the community The significance of weaving to a community is that one person is not enough to do all of the work. The community has lot of needs but one person cannot do all of the work. Just like in weaving the leader stands firmly trying to provide and help its people. But the leader does not do all of the work but also ask help from its subordinates in order to make their projects and needs of the people be provided. A community that has no teamwork cannot progress same goes with weaving when one thread has been cut or tangled you cannot continue your work. Connecting the thread and untangling the thread to make it work and have a nice weave. Same goes to a community that know how to help each other. (Saong, 2021) IV. Reflection From doing pudon, untangling threads, saud and weaving the warp, the first thing I have learned to have patience. Patience enables us to analyse things and situations beyond their face value. In weaving, as in life, making a mistake is okay. What is important is you know how to step back from where you stumbled, find which thread caused the mistake, and align them again so that you can continue weaving. Learning how to weave is more fun than imagined. In weaving there is no better teacher other than experience. Knowing how long and meticulous to make one item, you’ll understand that quality has truly a cost. The experience of troubleshooting, and knowing the excruciating backpain from the saudan and backstrap weaving makes me amazed of the strength and patience of our old folks who practiced weaving. Inabe maybe pricey but considering the price of the thread, the time and their patience to make one item the price does not make a huge profit but just enough. The grandmothers and youth who weave are weaving because they love doing it not for the money. It’s a dying art. Weaving is an art passed down from one generation to another. An art that should not be forgotten. Teaching youth how to weave should be continued cause our patterns patented for prosperity and security that can never be copied by anyone, anywhere. Weaving should be continued for this art would die once it’s not passed down. Not learning the traditions in weaving people in the future people would not know what to do or even know the meaning of the designs or what occasion they are used for. So, learning this tradition on at young age is a big help. Weaving is one of the distinctive ways of expression of arts, culture and tradition of the indigenous people. It’s a handloom tradition that has become our trademark.