The Philippine handwoven industry has been experiencing a revival in recent years due to the renewed interest of fashion-forward Filipinos who are rediscovering the beauty of our very own handwoven textiles, and the continuing dedication and perseverance of organizations like Habi: The Philippine Textile Council, which for the past 14 years has been holding its annual Likhang Habi festival which gathers local weavers from various parts of the country to showcase and sell their handwoven creations.
Established in 2009, Habi: The Philippine Textile Council is a non-government organization that strives to promote the value and singularity of our cultural identity by helping to preserve the understanding of and know-how of our indigenous textiles while at the same time modernizing the local handwoven textile industry.
Its officials are led by Maria Isabel “Maribel” Ongpin, chairman emeritus; Adelaida Lim, president emeritus; Ma. Milagros “Mia” Villanueva, president, and includes President Marcos’ younger sister Irene Marcos-Araneta who is the vice president of the organization.
Just recently, the organization held its 14th Likhang Habi festival, gathering 90 vendors from across the Philippines, showcasing a unique array of products at the Ayala Malls Glorietta Activity Center in Makati. When the group held its first festival, it only had a handful of participants.
Over the years, the interest in promoting local handwoven fabrics, clothes and various crafts has spawned several other festivals by other like-minded organizations.
In an interview, Habi president emeritus Adelaida Lim, welcomed the renewed and growing interest in local handwoven fabrics even as she acknowledged the lack of a comprehensive government effort to integrate the seemingly fragmented handwoven industry.
Instead, she asks, “Should it be the government or the private sector (to take the lead)? Truthfully, however, Lim prefers that the handwoven sector retains its unique artisanal quality that allows the sector to price its creations higher.
It was an eye-opener to learn that our very own piña cloth weaving has secured the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inscription in its Intangible Cultural List which now recognizes Aklan piña cloth weaving as an important heritage of humanity.
One of the exhibitors in this year’s just concluded Likhang Habi festival was Raquel’s Piña Cloth Products, whose founder – Raquel Eliserio was among the Philippines delegation that received the honor. Her son, Carlo, is now helping her with the family business that was started decades ago by his great grandparents. Carlo, in fact, is the fifth generation continuing the family business.
Piña cloth weaving, Carlo points out, is indeed a “luxury” textile that can take at least two to three years to produce – from the two-year cultivation of the special pineapple tree from whose leaves the piña fiber is scraped using clam shells, to the weaving that can take months as the piña fiber is very delicate and often breaks during the weaving process.
Additionally, with the adoption of new embroidery techniques the completion of the minimum four yards of piña cloth for a formal long-sleeve barong could take two to three years, hence, the high price it commands.
As piña is a natural fiber, Carlo explained, it is biodegradable and special care must be taken to clean and prolong its beauty. I was surprised to learn that piña should not be dry-cleaned and should instead be handwashed.
Fortunately for the piña cloth sector, Carlo revealed, the government, through the Department of Trade and Industry and the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority is supporting the sector by providing looms and technology that can help the piña weavers innovate on their production.
A new innovation that Carlo has added to the family’s piña cloth offerings are his very own hand-painted designs.
Presidential sister Irene Marcos-Araneta was spotted spending time with Carlo at their booth, where she also bought some piña cloth.
This year’s participants in the annual festival showcased their use of natural dyes. According to Habi Textile Council president Mia Villanueva, the festival has really been “more a gathering of artisans.”
During the fair’s opening this year, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was an “unraveling of the rope,” followed by a “pagsampay” ritual, which saw all vendors ceremoniously hang a piece of their product on the event’s welcome arch.
Habi: The Philippine Textile Council was established in 2009 by founder and chair emeritus Maribel Ongpin, to have a group dedicated to promoting and preserving the Philippines’ traditional textile practices and cultural heritage. Likhang Habi Market Fair was their first project, which began with only 12 vendors – a number that has grown to as many as over 100 in recent editions.
While the country’s ASEAN neighbors had groups dedicated to promoting and preserving their traditional textile practices and cultural heritage, the Philippines didn’t. And so the ladies of Habi stepped up to the plate, dedicating their time and energy to their cause – “the preservation, development and modernization of our Philippine textiles, which are quite varied, quite unique and very colorful, from all over the archipelago,” Ongpin said.
Habi travels to different corners of the country, visiting weavers and artisans, getting to know them and their art, finding that magical combination of talent and tradition in the grassroots, and opening doors for them.