Banig - Mats of The Philippines - Samar Mat

Samar Mat

The Samar mat could indisputably claim to be the most extensively used in the country. One could find the Samar mat in the markets in Mindanao as well as in Luzon, not to mention the many islands of the Visayas. This popularity basically stems from its attractive colors as well as its highly affordable prices.

The center of mat making in the province of Samar is the town of Basey, just across the San Juanico Bridge from Tacloban. The raw material is the tikog, a grass that grows profusely in swampy places. The process is very much similar to the Maranao and the limited color use make these two traditions resemble each other in color tones. But their design differ markedly.

The Basey mat maker basically has a border design and a central motif which often is a stylized rendition of flowers such as sampaguita, gumamela, rose, or some orchid. Most of the time, the motif is always done in a contrasting color or just plain natural tikog color. The more complicated ones come in multicolored tones and correspondingly cost more. Once in a while, a mat showing the excellent likeness of a major and highly recognizable public figure, whether local or foreign, would appear. One particular practitioner in the area do this "portrait mat" - a highly specialized artistic skill which is difficult to pass on down the younger generation.

The technique for creating the design on the Basey mat could be termed as embroidery since the design is inserted after the basic plain background mat has been fully woven. The design therefore is superficial to the basic mat, just an overlay of contrasting color.

While the designing on the Basey mat is generally conventional and one comes across a design repeatedly, one particular household in Basey has ventured into new design concepts inspired by suggestions made by outsiders. Although imitative and derivative in nature, it is a sign of a growing awareness of a more open approach in designing but still using the same technique as they have always done traditionally.

The only other notable tradition in the Visayan area is the bamban mat of Iloilo. Made from the bambam reed, this otherwise less pliable mat compensates by having a natural slightly glossy finish. Always done in its natural color, the bamban mat is still extensively used throughout rural Iloilo.