Travel Finds: The Allure of Aurora's Sabutan

After two years, I had a chance to go back to Baler, Aurora, a province in the Philippines with Gerard and his family. In those two years many things have changed and unlike before, Aurora has attracted more tourist local and foreign alike. The main improvement that we’ve noticed is the road. Way back in 2007, we had to pass through a long winding rough road, made mostly of dirt and gravel, just to surf on weekends.  Now more than ninety percent of the road to Aurora has been paved with cement, making the travel more comfortable.  Another development is the upsurge of new lodgings followed by now an expanded Pasalubong Center (Souvenir Shop), offering t-shirts, key chains, and other native products, as keepsakes to name a few, and most of all products made of “sabutan”. 

What really interests me the most is the upsurge in the selection of “sabutan” products offered by the vendor as souvenirs. It has been my habit to head straight to a market place when I travel. I admit it’s one of my weaknesses. I truly enjoy hunting for finds especially products unique to the locale, and meeting the artisans that made them is a bonus.

“Sabutan is a species of the Pandan plant that grows in the wilds of the Philippines. They reach a height of 6 to 12 feet its leaves turning green when mature and ready for harvesting. To create the fine and sophisticated finish, Sabutan is known for two major processes which take place: the preparation of Sabutan leaves and the weaving into fibers. The preparation of  the raw material is done in  the traditional manual fashion. Once the raw Sabutan is ready, it is dyed and hand woven into asymmetrical patterns and shapes. This produces your one of a kind design."

(http://www.mtjtraders.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=54)

The locals of Aurora identify their province to "sabutan". In one of the articles I read on Aurora, Philippines portal, the promotion of "sabutan" products began in 1989 with the use of this material traced to utilitarian beginnings, particularly by farmers. I had a chance to meet some women weavers a few years ago, and I even experimented on using “sabutan” mini-pouches as packaging for my trinkets. I was also looking for a way to integrate the use of this homegrown raw material into accessories. Unfortunately, this vision never materialized, but I was glad to know that the weavers finally expanded the range of “sabutan” products into bags, fans and hats to belts, headbands, earrings and necklaces sold at affordable prices. A pair of earrings was sold at PhP25.00, while the necklaces cost PhP100.00. I was in bargain paradise!   

In an article by Manila Bulletin, Aurora registered a surging 1300% increase in tourism arrival for the last 6 years. We wouldn’t be surprised if more and more people discover the natural beauty that Aurora has to offer in the coming years. It truly is a wonderful destination with wonderful people and local products to boot.- PJV

Read related articles on “Sabutan”
Vanishing Plant Yields for Aurora Folk
http://batangbaler.net/2006/10/08/sabutan-a-highly-priced-fiber-in-the-world-of-high-fashion/

Palanan: Sabutan Products

http://www.palanan.org/sabutanproducts.html