Through buri weaving and filmmaking, Sampaloc, Quezon tells a new story

Sandwiched between Mauban, the coastal gateway to Cagbalete Island, and Lucban, home of the Pahiyas Festival, the town of Sampaloc is easy to overlook. It remains under the radar while attracting artists such as filmmaker Lav Diaz, who has made the town his second home.

Sampaloc’s appeal is reflected in both its landscape and its people. During the three-month shoot in town for Lav Diaz’s Magellan, locals would spot Mexican lead star Gael Garcia Bernal low-key strolling around town, eating pancit at a neighborhood eatery, and blending in with the community.

The production of Magellan also brought economic benefits to the town. Empty-nesters opened unused bedrooms as homestays to accommodate cast and crew members, while dozens of locals found work as extras and additional film crew.

Must Read Lav Diaz on Cannes-bound ‘Magellan,’ Gael Garcia Bernal, and how he ‘almost died’

Sampaloc has also served as a location for other productions, including the Netflix film Reroute, starring John Arcilla, Sid Lucero, and Cindy Miranda. 

In the film, a car breakdown leaves Lucero and Miranda’s characters stranded, eventually leading them to the home of Arcilla’s character. Sampaloc’s landscape helps establish the film’s unsettling atmosphere, demonstrating the range of settings the town can offer filmmakers.

The house of John Arcilla’s character in Netflix’s ‘Reroute.’ Photo by Marky Ramone Go

Alongside larger productions such as Magellan and smaller independent films shot in Sampaloc, the town hopes to build on its growing appeal as a filming destination. 

Instead of just promoting its landscapes to filmmakers, it wants to encourage local youth to explore the different facets of filmmaking, from screenwriting, editing, and production design to acting, directing, and the technical work behind the camera.

From film location to film industry

Now in its second year, Sine Sampaloc has yet to produce a film made by local filmmakers. The municipality is still working to develop local interest and the skills needed to support film production.

For its second edition, the festival screened 10 selected short films that had won in previous editions of Cinemalaya and the Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula. 

None of the films was shot in Sampaloc or involved local filmmakers or actors. Instead, local participation took other creative forms: students choreographed interpretative dances inspired by each film, while aspiring production designers created tricycle floats representing the movies.

The vast rice fields can serve as a beautiful backdrop to any film set outside the big city. Photo courtesy of Marboy Sayno

When asked about the inspiration behind Sine Sampaloc, Mayor Nikko Devanadera offered a practical answer. The goal, he explained, is to attract film productions to the town and encourage them to spend locally, while developing a pool of homegrown talent that can support the industry.

“One is to invite film productions and make them spend here. It’s really economic because the youth development aspect is actually skills development, skills pipeline for the productions,” he said.

For Devanadera, the festival’s creative activities serve a practical purpose: preparing young people for opportunities in film production while equipping them with skills they can use in other fields.

The municipality also hopes to expand these opportunities through workshops and equipment for creative work, including video editing and post-production. These skills could open doors beyond film, including in graphic design and visual arts.

High school students who attended the workshops also spent an afternoon with filmmaker Zig Dulay, known for directing Green Bones, who introduced them to the basics of screenwriting.

But filmmaking is not the only creative pursuit Sampaloc hopes to develop. 

Somewhere in town, a group of women continues a traditional livelihood that once helped send generations of children to school. 

Buri weaving may not attract film production companies, but it remains an important part of Sampaloc’s cultural and economic history.

The craft that sent Sampaloc kids to school

“During my teens in the ’70s, almost all the kids here in Sampaloc were sent to school through the buri weaving of our parents,” said Hermilina “Aling Tessy” Diaz, 65, who has been weaving buri for almost 50 years.

Today, only a few dozen buri, also called buli, weavers remain in Sampaloc, a far cry from Aling Tessy’s younger years.

“All those kids, of course, grew up to become professionals. Others worked abroad, while others took up different jobs,” she said, explaining how the craft gradually lost its foothold in the local economy.

But buri, Aling Tessy points out, remains part of Sampaloc’s culture. 

A weaver prepares strips of buri palm leaves. Photo by Marky Ramone Go

Buri comes from the leaves of the buri palm, one of the Philippines’ native palms. Its leaves are prized for their strength and versatility and have long been used to make baskets, bags, fans, hats, boxes, and other household items.

In Sampaloc, the remaining weavers have organized themselves as KUMARI Weavers, or “Kababaihang Umaaksyon para sa Maunlad at Responsableng Kababaihang may Integridad.”

The weaving, or paglala, is only one part of the work. Before a single leaf can be woven, the raw buri has to go through a painstaking process: harvesting, stripping, sun-drying, boiling, drying again, flattening, and preparing the strips for weaving. Only then does the actual paglala begin.

Many of the finished bags and baskets sell for only P200 to P400. The obvious question is why they cost so little, considering the time, skill, and labor that go into making each piece.

Hermilina ‘Aling Tessy’ Diaz (top), a buri weaver for 50 years. Some of the baskets (right) created by the buri weavers of Sampaloc. Photos by Marky Ramone Go

For buyers, it is worth remembering that bargaining down the price of a handcrafted item can come at the expense of the very artisans whose work deserves support. These women have spent years perfecting their craft. Their work deserves a price that justifies the time and skill involved, not just the cost of materials.

As Sampaloc explores opportunities in filmmaking and other creative industries, its buri weavers remain part of the town’s cultural and economic life. Both represent skills and talent worth investing in. 

For KUMARI Weavers, keeping the craft alive means making it a steady source of income and giving younger generations a reason to learn it. 

Whether through films or traditional crafts, Sampaloc has a lot of stories and skills to build on. – Rappler.com