(Privilege speech delivered by Anak Mindanao party list Representative Sitti Djalia A. Turabin-Hataman at the House of Representatives on January 23, 2017)
Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi taala wabarakatuh.
Madame Speaker, fellow members of the People’s House, I beg your indulgence as this representation, a daughter of the province of Basilan, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, bring forward an observation brought about by the Miss Universe pre-pageant event featuring our very own Mindanao Tapestry.
As a Filipino playing host to this prestigious event, I set aside my own personal convictions on beauty pageants and join the entire nation take pride in this privilege. We salute and give due recognition to the men and women working hard to make this a success for and in behalf of the country and the Filipino people.
As representative of Anak Mindano, we further take pride in the showcase of the tapestry and fabrics representing the richness of each of our ethnic communities, a tribute to our colorfully diverse heritage.
We are however very much disheartened to take notice of the fact that our very own Yakan Tennun or popularly known as Yakan weave or cloth was presented as a fabric from Region IX instead of from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. We recognize the presence of a Yakan Village in Zamboanga City promoted as a popular tourist destination producing Yakan Tennun and we are sincerely grateful for this support to our traditional art. Indeed we need all the help we can get in the preservation and promotion of our local products.
However, this is also why we see the need to bring this matter forward. Our Yakan Tennun, is not just a product, it is a traditional art, one of the priceless traditional arts of weaving among the Muslim ethnic groups in the region along with the Landap of the Maranaos, the Inaul of the Maguindanawons, the Pis siyabit of the Tausugs, a traditional art that survived and was passed on for centuries. While those who fail to appreciate culture may perhaps see just a piece of cloth in our weaves… to us, the wisdom, the values, the very spirit of our forebears live in every single strand of every piece of cloth.[]
It represents our identity, our very being.[]