WHO
Teofilo Garcia
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Birth: March 27, 1941
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Born in: San Quintin, Abra
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He is one of the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) Awardee 2012
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Parents: Francisco Garcia and Concepcion Callos
WHAT HE MAKES:
Teofilo Garcia makes tabungaw hats, a type of Ilocano all weather headwear. It was said that if Teofilo Garcia could not find an apprentice to take over this skill, he would become the Philippine’s last tabungaw hat maker.
HIS STORY
Teofilo Garcia learnt how to make tabungaw hats from his grandpa when he was 15 years old, after his family moved from their secluded home to where he resides now. Teofilo Garcia's early exposure to the practice of making tabungaw hat which enabled him to master the technique of creating these renowned and culturally significant hats, maintaining and preserving a distinct piece of Filipino cultural history to the present today.
CONTINUATION OF LEGACY
REPRESEN
TATION
Teofilo Garcia is from the Ilocano people of Northern Luzon. He made hats for farmers who worked in the fields. The Tabungaw hats represent the rich culture of the Philippines with its agricultural importance about how farmers need to be protected and cared for, as they are the heart and soul of the Philippines' prowess in agriculture.