The Map of the Province of Abra

The Map of My Hometown (BANGUED)

 Municipalities in the Province of Abra

*Municipality of Baay-Licuan *Municipality of Villaviciosa

*Municipality of Langiden *Municipality of Daguioman

*Municipality of San Quintin *Municipality of Peñarrubia

*Municipality of Bangued *Municipality of Danglas

*Municipality of La Paz *Municipality of Pidigan

*Municipality of Tayum *Municipality of Dolores

*Municipality of Boliney * Municipality of Pilar

*Municipality of Luba *Municipality of Lacub

*Municipality of Tineg *Municipality of Sallapadan

*Municipality of Bucay *Municipality of Lagangilang

*Municipality of Malibcong * Municipality of San Isidro

*Municipality of Tubo *Municipality of Lagayan

*Municipality of Bucloc *Municipality of San Juan

*Municipality of Manabo
 Brief History of Province of Abra

Abra was created as a politico-military province in 1846, prior to which

was part of the old Ilocos Province and later Ilocos Sur when Ilocos Region

was divided into two provinces in 1818. Civil government was established in

Abra on August 19, 1901, but was re-annexed to Ilocos Sur in February 1905.

Abra remained a sub-province in 12 years, regaining its status as a province

only after the passage of Act 2683 in March 1917.

Agriculture is the main economic activity of the province. Horses,

which the province is known for in the Cordilleras and Northern Luzon, were

a major mode of transportation during the Spanish period. The Abra River is

widely utilized as a means of traversing and travelling in and out of the

province.

When the Spaniards came, missionary work was done in Abra by the

Augustinian Order who founded the town of Bangued in 1898. The priests

also made extensive studies of the culture of the indigenous people of Abra.

The Abreños actively participated in the national uprising in the 18th

century. During the middle part of 1899, a revolutionary government was set-

up in Abra through the leadership of Don Blas Villamor. Leocadio Valera

became the Provincial Governor until Abra fell into the American Civil

Government established on August 19, 1909.

During the Japanese occupation, a subversive guerrilla organization

was formed to resist the intruders. Like any other place, the province was

heavily damaged during the 2nd World War. Industries and properties were

adversely affected. When the Americans took over the war, a new system of

government was introduced and substancial changes in social, religious,

political and economic life of the people took place.

 Don Quintin Paredes of Abra

by Lourdes Paredes-San Diego, ©1985

Don Quintin Paredes of Abra by Lourdes Parades-San Diego. This

biography has two immediate focal points for researchers “itching” for more

than Google pre-digested sources.This was a period of Philippine societal

absorption when families were entrenched in European society, or more

specifically awash in Castilian mores and traditions. Aristocracy in the

colonies would soon be threatened by the onslaught of revolutionary fever

and the arrival of yet another Caucasian conquistador, posing as liberator.

This was a time when personages held titles such as “Don” differentiating –

not necessarily distinguishing – them as members of a perceived ilustrado

lineage, those blessed with inherited wealth and acres of land, powerful

scions whose altruistic bent in life was to dispense influence and patronage,

oblivious of the future they created from the sweat of the peasants brow, or

the broken backs of laborers.

Don Quintin of Abra Table of Contents.The quixotic irony is that the

author herself, a 20th century figure, a brilliant legal feminist, would win her

way through entrenched patriarchy, initiating new laws affecting the status of

women in the Philippines. Justice Emeritus Lourdes Paredes San Diego

writes about “her illustrious father . . . the legendary Don Quintin Paredes of

Abra . . . .” She describes his career-ascendancy as solicitor general, secretary

of justice, congressman, senator, House of Representatives Speaker, and

ultimately as Senate President. But Paredes was among those who were thrust

into the worst of times: the Japanese occupation of the Philippines when one

could be viewed either as patriot or enemy collaborator. Had he outlived his

brilliant political career when he saw his influence waning as he struggled to

defend the interests of a newly created republic against the invasive greed of

foreign industrialists, thus repeating the fate of his forefathers?

 TEOFILO GARCIA

Casque Maker,Ilocano,San Quintin, Abra,2012

Teofilo Garcia leaves his farm in San Quintin, Abra, he makes it a point

to wear a tabungaw. People in the nearby towns of the province, in

neighboring Sta. Maria and Vigan in Ilocos Sur, and as far as Laoag in Ilocos

Norte sit up and take notice of his unique, functional and elegant headpiece

that shields him from the rain and the sun. A closer look would reveal that it

is made of the native gourd, hollowed out, polished, and varnished to a bright

orange sheen to improve its weather resistance. The inside is lined with finely

woven rattan matting, and the brim sports a subtle bamboo weave for accent.

Because he takes pride in wearing his creations, Teofilo has gotten

many orders as a result. Through his own efforts, through word of mouth, and

through his own participation in an annual harvest festival in his local Abra, a

lot of people have discovered about the wonders of the tabungaw as a

practical alternative. Hundreds have sought him out at his home to order their

own native all-weather headgear. His clients have worn his work, sent them

as gifts to their relatives abroad, and showed them off as a masterpiece of

Filipino craftsmanship. With the proper care, a well-made tabungaw can last
up to three to four generations, and the ones created by Teofilo are among the

best there are. They are so sturdy that generally, farmers need to own only

one at a time. Even Teofilo and his son only own one tabungaw each.

Although he has been a master artisan since he learned how to make

gourd casques and weave baskets from his grandfather at the age of 15,

Teofilo is still principally a farmer. Most of the year is spent working the land

to coax a good harvest to enable him to send his five children to

school.Crafting the tabungaw from planting and harvesting the upo, refining

the uway (rattan) that make up the lining of the tabungaw, weaving the puser

(bamboo) that serves as the accent for the work, and finishing the work takes

up a lot of time. It takes at least seven days to finish one tabungaw, assuming

that all the materials are available. He uses only simple hand tools that he

designed himself and he is involved in each stage of the production.

His output is also limited by his harvest of gourds. In a good year and

blessed with good weather, he can make up to 100 pieces. This year, inspired

by increasing orders, he plans to increase the area of his farm dedicated to

gourd planting. His increased visibility is also partly the result of the local

agricultural fairs organized by the local government where he takes out a

booth every year to showcase his work.

 He has developed a feel for each component, and engages in a lot of

experimentation to determine why this particular variety of upo is more

resistant to decay, why this particular species of rattan is unsuitable because it

is less pliant to his touch. He has been looking for other varieties of upo to

use as raw materials, but it has proven difficult since he does not have access

to a plant database that would make his work easier. He had been interested

in certain varieties that showed promise but he has been unable to track them

down and now they are no longer available in his area.

He rues the fact that there is very little interest by other people to make

tabungaws even though it has potential as an export product. Now that his

children are grown up, he has time to teach others the craft and is looking

forward to the possibility. He is also eager to explore new designs, and he has

been innovating on his traditional designs based on inspirations from his trips

to the nearby provinces. He has developed many patterns and built on the

traditional patterns that he learned when he was young. He is interested in

developing new ways to show contrast between the shades of matting, and

how to keep the tabungaw colorfast regardless of the weather. Years after he

first learned how to make a tabungaw, it still takes him a long time to perfect

the casque because he is still perfecting his art. (Maricris Jan Tobias).
 Ramon Valera: The Philippines’ First National Artist for Fashion

Design

Ramon Valera, born on August 31, 1912 in Abra, is the Philippines’

first National Artist for Fashion Design. He finished his primary and

secondary education in La Salle, but dropped out of his first year in college at

FEU due to financial problems.

Valera never had any formal training in fashion design, but his works

have been the standard of fashion students for intricate sewing, embroidery,

and handiwork.

Valera is known to the public as the “High priest of local fashion” and

wearing garments of his creation would be considered as an honor. He was

the only male counter his contemporaries had, and he would do the

designing, cutting, pasting, and sewing all by himself. Ramon was a

fastidious worker, discarding finished garments that weren’t of his liking

when they were done, and was one who worked directly from his imagination

and never worked with patterns.

Ramon introduced to the Philippine society the one-piece terno

fastened at the back with a zipper, and transformed the traditional Maria
Clara outfit into a wedding gown with bell sleeves, which at first was

considered a disgrace to the Filipina standard. Though he received

contrasting reactions to his creations, Ramon continued to defy tradition and

staples through his creativity and unique concepts.

To be clothed by Valera was an honor, and being dressed by him is not

by appointment, but by invitation. He chose his clientele which included

Manila’s then socialites like Susan Magalona, Gloria Romero, Baby Araneta-

Flores, Chito Madrigal, and the Philippines’ first ladies from Aurora Quezon

to Imelda Marcos.

Ramon proved that having a college degree or formal training in a field

is not necessary for one to be successful in life. He used his creativity,

imagination, and will to defy tradition to his advantage and came out as the

one of the Philippines’ most treasured artists.

The contribution of Ramon Valera, whose family hails from Abra, lies

in the tradition of excellence of his works, and his commitment to his

profession, performing his magical seminal innovations on the Philippine

terno.
Past Governors of the Province of Abra
 The Festivals being celebrated in Province of Abra

*Kawayan Festival

Kawayan festival means Bamboo Festival. It is the fiesta celebration of

the provincial government of Abra. Abra is located at northern part of the

Philippines, in the Cordillera region where majority of its people belong to

Itneg tribe. Abrenians tagged their fiesta as Kawayan Festival because of

abundancy of bamboo’s in their region.

*Dapil Festival

“Dapil Festival” is a festival on sugarcane which is one of the Abra’s

main agricultural products for the manufacture of a wine called “basi”,

vinegar, molasses called “muscovado” and candies. Dapil is derived from the

word “Dadapilan”, an equipment used in extacting the sugar cane juice. This

festival not only feature trade fair for sugarcane products and other agri-based

items but also basketball tournaments, beauty contests, parades and cultural

shows.

*Arya Abra Festival

 Arya Abra Festival is a celebration of the province of Abra’s

individuality. It is a week-long celebration that showcases various

sectors/groups in the province. Each day is offered to a particular group of

persons as a way of honoring them for what they have done for the province

of Abra. The cultural festival “Arya Abra” has become a traditional yearly

festival which is aimed not only for outsiders but also the natives of Abra.

The Arya Abra festivity is a week-long great exercise, not just for attracting

tourists but also to enlighten all Abreños to take pride in the heritage and rich

culture of their province.

*Tingguian Festival.

Tingguian Festival features rich and colorful dances, and songs of the

Tingguian tribe.
References

*http://gwhs-stg01.i.gov.ph/~s1abragov/index.php/about/municipalities/

*http://gwhs-stg01.i.gov.ph/~s1abragov/index.php/about/history/

*http://www.oovrag.com/oovnew/don-quintin-of-abra/

*http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/gamaba/national-

living-treasures-teofilo-garcia/

* https://impakngsikatdlsu.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/ramon-valera-the-

philippines-first-national-artist-for-fashion-design/

* http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/national-artists-of-

the-philippines/ramon-valera/

* http://gwhs-stg01.i.gov.ph/~s1abragov/index.php/governors-of-abra/

* http://www.traveltothephilippines.info/2012/01/09/colorful-festivals-in-

abra/