Teofilo Garcia

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Teofilo Garcia
Born(1945-05-28)May 28, 1945
NationalityFilipino
OccupationFarmer, hatter
Known forTabunggaw (gourd) hat
AwardsNational Living Treasure Award
2012

Teofilo Garcia (born March 27, 1941)[1] is a Filipino hatter who is regarded as a National Living Treasure in the Philippines for making tabungaw hats, a type of Ilocano headwear.

Background[]

Garcia is known for crafting tabungaw hat, a type of Ilocano hat made from a variety of gourd (Cucurbitaceae) known locally as tabungaw.[2][3][4]

Garcia, who has five children, primarily works as a farmer. He primarily cultivates rice and tobacco and tends to a herd of cows. During the period when he does neither of these, Garcia grows tabungaw.[5] He is a native of the town of San Quintin in Abra.[6]

Garcia learned how to create tabungaw hats and weave basket from his grandfather when he was 15 years old.[5] He eventually became known for producing tabungaw hats – his hats were reputed to be the most sturdy and smooth in his community.[2] Garcia himself would wear tabungaw hat in his daily life and he could create 100 headwear in a year if the gourd harvest is good.[5]

He would also innovate on the creation of tabungaw hats experimenting on using nito and bamboo fibers as decor. The interior of Garcia's hats would also vary in decoration.[2]

On November 8, 2012, he was conferred the National Living Treasure Award.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ "Official Calendar". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Sagisag Kultura: Teofilo Garcia". CultureEd Philippines (in Tagalog). Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP), National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  3. ^ D’Bayan, Igan (March 1, 2021). "Loren Legarda weaves her tapestry of culture". The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  4. ^ "Documentary series 'Dayaw' enters 10th season with stories of Filipino culture bearers". ABS-CBN News. March 12, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Tobias, Maricris Jan. "GAMABA: Teofilo Garcia". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  6. ^ Estrella, Fiel (October 10, 2017). "13 indigenous artists who have kept Filipino creativity alive". CNN Philippines. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
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