The baby was securely fastened to the body with a traditional sling made of faded stripes

Baby shouldered by mother — Mother and child I met in the mountains

While walking through a mountain village of Tinglayan in northern Philippines, my eyes were drawn to the back of a woman climbing up the slope. A baby was firmly tied to her body with a faded striped cloth. The fabric was simple, yet it served as a kind of traditional baby sling. Compared with the modern baby carriers sold in city stores, it looked rather primitive—but probably far sturdier, and far superior in the way it allowed the mother’s warmth to pass directly to her child.

The woman paid no attention to my camera. She walked steadily along the mountain path, as if her day were merely a continuation of daily life. But the baby on her back was different. Peeking out through a gap in the cloth, the child stared straight at me, as if to say, “Another strange visitor has arrived.” In those eyes—neither fully surprised nor curious—I saw a quiet strength, the kind that belongs only to those who grow up rooted in the mountains.

Tinglayen on Google Map

Comment via

日本語