Sama-Bajau Weaving and Cultural Center Opens in Basilan, Strengthening Livelihoods and Safeguarding Cultural Heritage

The Claret Samal Foundation Inc. (CSFI), in partnership with the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation (YBH), proudly announces the opening of the Sama-Bajau Weaving and Cultural Center in Sitio Teheman, Maluso, Basilan — a dedicated community space designed to empower Sama-Bajau women weavers, strengthen sustainable livelihoods, and safeguard the community’s rich cultural heritage.

Conceived as both a livelihood hub and a living cultural space, the center provides an environment where weavers can prepare materials, create, showcase, and sell their traditional pandan-woven crafts known as tepo. Beyond production, it serves as a venue for skills training, heritage education, and workshops that ensure knowledge is passed on to younger generations.

A Community Rooted in Partnership

For over three decades, CSFI has served Sitio Teheman, having been appointed caretaker of the community and its surrounding mangrove forests by the local government of Maluso. Since its founding in 1993, CSFI has worked closely with government agencies and civic partners to advance health, education, environmental protection, and sustainable community development, including collaborations with the Rural Health Unit, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform.

The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation has been a steadfast partner for more than a decade. Beginning in 2013, YBH expanded its support to improve access to education for Sama-Bajau children. From 2018 onward, the partnership established the CSFI Yellow School of Hope — a floating school serving preschool to Grade 5 students — complemented by the Hapag-Asa feeding program (in partnership with Assisi Development Foundation), Teaching at the Right Level teacher training (in partnership with AHA Learning Center and Ateneo de Zamboanga University, book donations, skills training, construction of the Yellow Bridge of Hope, provision of a Yellow Boat of Hope Educational Hub, and the provision of over 200 yellow boats that help families reach schools and livelihood opportunities.

Recognizing that cultural identity is just as vital as education and income, CSFI and YBH also committed to nurturing and preserving the Sama-Bajau’s most treasured heritage practice: traditional weaving.

“At the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, our dream has always been to sail communities toward brighter futures—empowering them with education and the tools to preserve their heritage while weaving sustainable livelihoods. The Sama-Bajau Weaving and Cultural Center is a symbol of hope and empowerment for the Sama-Bajau community of Maluso, Basilan. It serves as a place to preserve their rich weaving heritage, strengthen livelihoods, celebrate their culture and traditions, and remind current generations of their proud identity while inspiring future generations to learn. We are deeply grateful to our generous donors, steadfast partners like Claret Samal Foundation Inc., and dedicated hope paddlers who made this dream possible,” said Dr. Anton Lim, Co-founder, CEO, and President of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation.

A Space for Livelihood and Living Heritage

The Sama-Bajau Weaving and Cultural Center was conceived in response to long-standing challenges faced by families in Sitio Teheman, including poverty, limited access to resources, and restricted market opportunities. While weaving has always been deeply embedded in Sama-Bajau life, the absence of proper facilities and stable income pathways has constrained its full potential.

The new center directly addresses these needs by providing dedicated spaces for weaving, product development, exhibitions, and retail. A souvenir shop and gallery showcase traditional craftsmanship, while the workspace enables weavers to produce quality handmade goods such as mats, hats, pouches, and bags, creating sustainable income opportunities for families.

By integrating cultural learning into everyday life, the center complements the Yellow School of Hope’s curriculum, ensuring that children grow up with pride in their identity while gaining practical and entrepreneurial skills for the future. The establishment of this center is the final foundational component in a long-term development framework — education, infrastructure, and livelihood converging in one ecosystem. By strengthening both income pathways and cultural identity, the center completes a holistic cycle of community empowerment and long-term sustainability.

Designed by Ar. Peach Buencamino, the structure draws inspiration from the stilts of traditional Sama-Bajau houses, grounding the building in the community’s architectural heritage. Its façade echoes the interlacing of pandan strips woven into colorful tepo, visually translating the craft into built form. A mural by renowned artist AG Saño animates the top exterior, embodying the unfolding of dreams and reflecting hope, growth, and collective resilience.

The center’s inaugural exhibition is curated by Janine Cabato, presenting eleven Sama-Bajau indigenous weaving patterns that articulate the depth, complexity, and continuity of the community’s visual and material culture. These patterns are grounded in lived experience, shaped by the environment, kinship structures, collective memory, and the everyday rhythms of Sama-Bajau life. Each design functions not only as ornamentation but also as a cultural document — encoding knowledge, values, and identity — thereby positioning weaving as both artistic expression and an enduring record of heritage.

The exhibition foregrounds the work of weavers and culture bearers Peresina Abduhasi, Sibiya Bahali, Jumdiya Jawhari, Minda Lanji, Melissa Maimbong, Bungaraya Melgari, Divina Jurani, Juljaina Lagayan, Silda Maimbong, Lucinta Kaugtuan, and Lerma Unsang, whose craftsmanship and generational knowledge sustain and advance the living tradition of tepo weaving within the community.

To strengthen the curatorial narrative and provide deeper context to the craft, a video installation produced by Game Night Production and Co., led by Lawrence Agustin, offers an in-depth look into the intricate and labor-intensive preparation of tepo. This sponsored film by YBH USA documents each stage of the process — from harvesting and cleaning pandan leaves to boiling, drying, dyeing, and hand-weaving — illuminating the technical knowledge, patience, and embodied skill required of the weavers. By foregrounding this often-unseen groundwork, the video invites visitors to better appreciate the artistry and cultural value embedded in every handcrafted piece.

Partners and Supporters

As lead project implementors, CSFI and YBH acknowledges the generosity of donors and partners that made the Sama-Bajau Weaving and Cultural Center possible: AEB (Asia Pacific) Singapore, Boysen, Bundi and Cherry Ang, C.C. Buencamino Architect, Francis Capinpin, Grace & Mercy Foundation Asia, Javier and Vivian Teo,, Monde par la main / Give a Hand, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Pamulaan Center for IP Education, Panasonic, PayPal Community Impact, Philippine Chamber of Business and Professionals Shanghai, Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines, #WeAreTogether International Prize, and Yellow Boat of Hope USA. Lastly, C.C. Buencamino Architect for the design of the center.

Visiting Information

Strategically located near its beneficiary community and conveniently accessible from the main highway and the Maluso town center, the Sama-Bajau Weaving and Cultural Center is open every Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM.

For inquiries, partnerships, or scheduled visits, please contact the Claret Samal Foundation Inc Facebook page.