(This essay about the Bantayog Sablay was written by Amihan Abueva, it was written in April 11, 2024 a few days after the Saludo sa Mga Haligi ng Bantayog where the Bantayog Sablay was unraveled. Photos from the Quezon City Government.)
I wanted a sablay to evoke our struggle for peace and justice, to link it with the rich history and culture of our people.
Amihan Abueva
Inspired by the Philippine flag and history, the word BANTAYOG is illustrated using the Baybayin, the ancient alphabet of our ancestors, using appliqued cut-out black felt, on plain white handwoven cloth.
Using handwoven fabrics from the North and South, Ilocano Inabel and Tausug Kambut Syabit of our country, the sablay depicts the dream of peace (blue handwoven cloth) and the various struggles and movements to achieve justice and peace for our people. Each sablay has a piece of the unique Kambut Syabit design in the front part and handwoven red piece in the back.
The logo of the Bantayog Foundation, features the Inang Bayan sculpture. It is surrounded by the white diamond, using white handwoven fabric with gold threads, with yellow trim, but when worn on the left shoulder, is seen as a triangle from both the front and back.
The sun emblem, features more rays than the original flag pattern of the sun, to indicate that there are many more ‘provinces’ or sectors of society included in the struggle for nation-building. The central circle is also made of Filipino handwoven fabric, while the rays of the sun are made of various cotton fabrics. It is a brooch that can be pinned and makes the sablay adjustable to the person wearing it.
I created the design while the Sewing Hope team, Mary Grace Pidot, Angie Pia and Angel Solero, sewed them together. It took us three weeks to make 15 sablays.
