Iraya
An Iraya-Mangyan family [Source: Mangyan Mission]
The Iraya Mangyans live in the municipalities of Puerto Galera, San Teodoro and Baco in
Oriental Mindoro but most are in Occidental Mindoro, particularly in the municipalities of
Abra de Ilog, Paluan, Mamburao and Santa Cruz.
Estel (1952) described the Iraya as having curly or deep wavy hair and dark skin but not as
dark as that of the Negrito.
During ancient times, the Iraya traditional attire was made of dry tree bark, pounded to
make it flat and soft. The women usually wore a blouse and a skirt and the men wore g-
strings made of cloth. Today, however, the Iraya are dressed just like the lowland people.
Ready-to-wear clothes are easier to find than their traditional costume [Uyan, 2002].
The Irayas are also skilled in nito-weaving. Handicrafts such as jars, trays, plates and cups
of different sizes and design are being marketed to the lowlanders.
They subsist on rice, banana, sweet potato, and other root crops.
Living in the foothills of Mount Malasimbo, the Iraya-Mangyans are the indigenous
people of Oriental Mindoro who are known for their skill of nito-weaving, a preserved
tradition that celebrates their unique art form.
Nito baskets by the Iraya-Mangyan community/IMAGE Ayala Foundation
It was in 1989 when Doña Bea Zobel of the affluent Zobel de Ayala family got wind of
the Iraya-Mangyan community. Upon learning about the Iraya-Mangyan group, one of
the several Mangyan groups residing in Mindoro, Doña Bea became interested in
helping them by providing education, housing management, health, and livelihood
programs through the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) which facilitates the Sustainable
Livelihood program in the community.
The children of the Iraya-Mangyan community./IMAGE Ayala Foundation
In this livelihood program, AFI and the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne. committed to
supporting the Iraya-Mangyans by providing livelihood programs through their tradition
of nito-weaving. This deep-rooted tradition has been the primary source of income of
the Iraya-Mangyans as they weave using a certain vine called nito that can be found in
the forest that is used for basketry and handicrafts.
Iraya-Mangyan products are available in Greenbelt 5, Glorietta 1, Alabang Town Center, and UP Town
Center
“The woven items made by Iraya-Mangyan artisans had the potential to reach a wider
market, so Doña Bea worked with Ayala Foundation in honing their skills through
training programs and other forms of support,” said Paz Baylon, Ayala Foundation’s
Program Manager for the Iraya-Mangyan project. “This way, the Iraya-Mangyans honed
their weaving expertise by helping them use sewing machines, which expanded their
opportunities from basketry to venturing into dresses, bags, and accessories.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Nito baskets used as home décor
“The designs are their original concept,” said Paz when asked about the Iraya-
Mangyans’ concept of creation. The particular designs, according to Paz, are traditional
— the patterns are either geometric, or are based on what they see in nature, such as
trees and leaves .
At present, the Iraya-Mangyans now produce functional items such as hot pads, fruit
baskets, trays, lamp shades, and fashionable accessories such as bags, necklace, and
earrings with prices ranging Php 450 to Php 5,900.
Iraya-Mangyan artisan at work/IMAGE Ayala Foundation
Iraya-Mangyan on-site community/IMAGE Ayala FOundation
The weaving is done on-site where the Iraya-Mangyans live. Although the majority of
the weavers are women, there are also men who are into weaving, totaling into more
than a hundred Iraya-Mangyans under this livelihood project of the Ayala Foundation.
“Before, it takes them a month to produce a single item but now, they can do it in just
three days,” mentioned Paz as the Iraya-Mangyans continuously train to create more
pieces as possible to augment their income.
Colorful woven bags handcrafted by Iraya-Mangyans
With the Sustainable Livelihood program of the Ayala Foundation, the Iraya-Mangyans
are given more opportunities to enhance their skill set as well as create a venue to
showcase the indigenous people’s artistic capabilities.
For those interested in supporting the Iraya-Mangyan project of the Ayala Foundation,
contact them at 02-717-5800 or email them at info@ayalafoundation.org. Iraya-
Mangyan products are available in Greenbelt 5, Glorietta 1, Alabang Town Center, and
UP Town Center.
