Salinta Monon
Salinta Monon was a Filipino textile weaver who was the one of two recipients of the National Living Treasures Award in 1998. She was known for her Bagobo-Tagabawa textiles and was known as the "last Bagobo weaver".
Background
Monon was born on December 12, 1920, and grew up in Bituag, Bansalan, [Davao del Sur|Bansalan] in Davao del Sur and watched her mother weave ikat a traditional abaca fabric when she was a child, She asked her mother how to use the loom at age 12 and learned how to weave within a few months. She weaved a design for three to four months. In a month she could weave fabric which could be used for a single abaca tube skirt which measures 3.5 x 0.42 meters. Her favorite design is the binuwaya or crocodile which is said to be among the most difficult to weave.According to Cherry Quizon, an anthropologist based in New York, the origin of Monon's design can be dated back as early as the 1910s.
Monon was awarded the National Living Treasures Award in 1998. She died on June 4, 2009.
President Rodrigo Duterte declared a year-long celebration named "Centennial Year of Salinta Monon" from December 12, 2021, in her honor.