Alát


(September 01, 2009 to November 05, 2009)

A Survey of Fishing Baskets in Ilocos Norte

The presence of rivers and other bodies of fresh water and the proximity of the South China Sea have made fishing a productive economic activity among the people of Ilocos Norte.
Although not at a commercial scale, it has become an important source of additional income for those who live near the sea and the river. To the Ilocano fishermen, the use of the traditional fishing techniques and implements is still widely practiced, which explains the wide selection of fishing baskets under the collection of Gameng: Museo Ilocos Norte being presented in this special exhibit.

Kinds of Fishing Baskets:

  1. Alát – a cylindrical basket made of closely woven bamboo strips with a funnel-shaped cover called serrég. It is usually used as a container or receptacle for shell or fish catch the alát is tied to a man’s waist with a string. In olden times, salt is generally kept in and sold by the alát (sisidlan).
  2. Balingáto – a trap made of bamboo strips used to catch fresh water crabs and strimps.
  3. Barekbék – a kind of small bow basket used to catch fresh-water lobsters. It is made of coarse wickerwork (heavy bamboo) and is about one foot long with a diameter of four inches at the mouth; its funnel-shaped entrance has a double row of sharp points (serrég). Several barekbék are set together with a bait inside and covered with pebbles to keep them in place.
  4. Bóbo – is a bottle-shaped fish trap which measures to about one and a half feet in height. It is constructed out of thin bamboo and or rattan slits. The wider end or base is woven in a manner that allows the fish to enter and unable to go out. The smaller end or top is covered with wood or a piece of cloth which is opened only when removing the catch.
  5. Bukátot – a long basket-like fishtrap made of  a few whole nodes of bamboo with its mouth enlarged and tapering at the tail, and set in place in water channels  or narrow streams.
  6. Dákko/Gákko – it is a regular-sized basket woven from bamboo splits. The spaces in between the  splits serve as the drainage for water. This is usually used by women to catch shellfish.
  7. Karadíkad – a round tray basket made from bamboo strips. This is used to catch fresh water shellfish.
  8. Paríng – made of bamboo strips used to catch assorted fresh water fish, and set in place in water channels or narrow streams.
  9. Saludan – a cylindrical basket made from bamboo strips, about two feet in height and 10 to 14 inches in diameter. It is used by a fisherman to keep his food, extra clothes, water to drink, fish and others.
  10. Sarípot – a bottle shaped basket made of fine bamboo strips used to catch small fishes like ipon (glussogobius).
  11. Talákib – a hexagonal shaped basket made of bamboo strips with a hole in the middle. Used to trap sea crabs.
  12. Tiklís – a large basket made of bamboo strips  used for carrying small fishes.
  13. Udág – eel trap made of bamboo and rattan strips, used in mountain streams and rivers.

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