A bamboo pole, about two meters long, was served on our table. Our waiter opened the lid and revealed what’s inside. Pinakbet. My least favorite food of all time.

Oh man. Dining at a place called Pinakbet Farm, I should’ve expected this. Tsk.

Coming from the abel loom weaving in Caoayan, a town which used to be part of Vigan City, we dropped by Pinakbet Farm—a small restaurant overlooking one of the tributaries of Meztizo River. Tables and benches are neatly arranged on a pavilion-type open-aired setting. Wood dominates the theme of the restaurant—and with the breeze wafting in, it makes for a very rustic and provincial ambience.

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Off the southern part of Vigan City lies the town of Caoayan. Here, we witnessed how locals turn colorful strands of cloth into something beautiful. Painstakingly, they weave these by hand, turning simple yarns into something intricately beautiful—an abel, Ilocos province’s traditional woven product.

Every Ilocano worth his salt has an abel somewhere in his house; the fabric being an intrinsic part of their lives. From birth, they are wrapped in abel blanket. During their weddings, they wear dresses made from abel. Even in death, they are again wrapped in a blanket made of the same material.

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