Who does not know of Banaue and the Rice Terraces? Banaue, Ifugao, is almost 300 kilometers from Manila, concealed in the lush and verdant green vegetation of the Cordillera. It has a rich history and a distinctly colorful culture.
Just as textile colors are intimately intertwined with the culture, the interplay of colors and designs speaks much of their history as a people. Before, natural dyes undoubtedly played a significant role in achieving the ensemble of colors and designs in an Ifugao fabric. The time came when commercial colorings flooded the markets and the convenience and ease of application outstaged natural dyes. Amid the declining interest in their use, Amganad, a barangay in Banaue almost a 20-minute ride from the poblacion, harbors a number of dyers who are still practicing the traditional art of Ifugao natural dyeing. This practice was one of those documented by the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) in 1984. It laid the cornerstone for the upgrading of the indigenous technologies on natural dyes in the Philippines
