Jenny Bawer Young, Mabilong Weavers and Kalingfornia Laga Weavers
Jenny Bawer Young has performed and conducted Kalinga traditional art workshops in her native Cordillera region, Metro Manila, Switzerland, Germany and the US. Since immigrating with her family in 2006, she has been a valuable resource on Kalinga culture for the Filipino American community, especially in the San Francisco area.
Jenny is a master weaver and the driving force behind Kalingafornia Laga, a women’s collective dedicated to the goal of preserving and promoting traditional Kalinga culture in the Bay Area. Her goal is the same as her ancestors: to sing, dance, weave, and preserve the ancient arts that made the Kalinga people special. Isolated from the outside world, in the deep mist of the Cordillera, “these practices need to be shared with those who want to celebrate the traditional way of the indigenous people.”
Jenny’s teachings and guidance have helped Parangal produce work presented or showcased at NBC Asian Pacific America, SF Ethnic Dance Festival, Folkmoot Int’l Festival (N. Carolina, USA), Merie Monarch Festival Hilo, White House’s FAHM; performances in SF Bay Area, New York, Padayan, Parangal’s 10th Anniversary show and more. Last year Jenny, along with her father and family members, joined the Manilatown Ancestral Ensemble to perform Di Ullalim, a spectacular Kalinga performance to a packed crowd at the I-Hotel. Starting in May 2025, Jenny will be heading the Hinabi Project’s 1st Weaving Workshop Series at Sentro Filipino along with Dana Sabaria.
