Artisans at LIKHA 4 in Manila. Anna Cerezo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- While others saw the forge as no place for a woman, Sinang Darimbang Magdala—the first female kris blacksmith in Barangay Campong-Talao—saw a possibility. 

And while other girls learned to thread needles, her daughter Momminah learned to wield a hammer.

"Mahirap pero para makatulong mag hanap buhay," said Sinang, who at 64 continues to work on her craft, on Wednesday in Manila.

"Naturunan ko sa tatay ko 16 years old pa lang ako. Noong nawala na siya ng 2020, kaming dalawa  nag tuloy," her daughter said. 

In a soot-streaked workshop in Tugaya, Lanao del Sur, 26-year-old Momminah shapes glowing steel into a kris—each strike a reminder that tradition isn't always passed down in words, but forged through blistered hands and quiet resolve.

She didn't pick up the hammer out of duty, but out of purpose. What began at the anvil as survival was tempered into pride—and a lasting bond to her roots.

"Ito bumubuhay sa amin. Mahirap pero proud kami. Sa babaeng magkapatid ako lang nag tuloy," she said.

Alongside her brothers and a growing circle of young artisans in Tugaya, she now forms part of a new generation determined to shape not just blades, but the future of a craft.

She dreams of a future where craftsmanship is a choice, not merely a necessity. Yet the reality remains a daily struggle—working with outdated tools, facing unsafe conditions, and earning an income that often falls short of what's needed to get by.

"Sometimes, I wonder if I want my children to follow this path.  Not because I  am ashamed but because I know how hard it is," she said. 

Their story is one of many featured at LIKHA 4, a centerpiece of this year's Independence Day celebration. This exhibit invites you to discover these artisans' journeys, learn about the rich culture behind their craft, and help ensure their voices are seen and heard.

"You will be able to help them economically, but you will also relaize the education you are also gaining. And in your own small way, you are contributing to the sustainability. And you are already expressing civic responsibility and stewardship to your cultural heritage," NCCA secretariat Eric B. Zerrudo said. 

"When people come, they should not just converse. But they should touch and shake hands with these people. You can just imagine the age and effort of working with your hands," he added.

Gathering 28 new artisans, returning talents from past conventions, and local designers from across the country, LIKHA 4 showcases the living, breathing evolution of Filipino craft.

"For LIKHA 4, these are artisans who covered a lot of distance. If you look at the participants from Mindanao, some travelled hours by boat, 12 hours from their place in the mountains down to the highways. They covered so much distance to show everybody what they can do. There are people who have been out of mainstream society, we have rebel returnees," Zerrudo explained. 

LIKHA seeks to be a  platform for tradition, innovation, and economic empowerment. A space where the past is honored, and the future is shaped. 

"This is a very wide spectrum of creativity. We are not just crafting creativity but trying to define it as well. it is forward looking and investing into the future," Zerrudo said.