After Boracay, Ati-Atihan, comes now piña fiber from Aklan

Aklan Gov. Florencio T. Miraflores is ecstatic with another tourist attraction in his province, in addition to world-renowned Boracay and Ati-Atihan. He is hoping that the world-class woven piña fabric, the pride of the Aklanons for centuries will put Aklan prominently in the map as the Piña Capital and Handloom Center of the Country.

"Nowhere in the world one can find pine-apple fibers woven into fine gossamer cloth than in Aklan, the piña dubbed as the queen of Philippine fibers," he adds. In fact, the Aklan piña cloth has found its way in palaces and state functions in other countries, worn by dignitaries and heads of state, as well as functional items in homes all over the world."

As part of the province’s anniversary cel-ebration on April 25 it showcased latest fashion design using the world-class woven piña and the different fiber-based crafts of Aklan in an exhibit called the 4th Fiber Festival product Showcase 2003 that will run tomorrow as part of Aklan’s 47th anniversary. Participants numbering to almost a hundred consist showcase fibers, loomwoven products, fur-niture and furnishings, gifts and housewares, processed food, home decors and accessories.

According to Agriculture Secretary Cito Lorenzo who graced the grand opening of the exhibit, the fiber festival is a display of Aklan’s rich natural resources and the creativity of its people on how to put to good use such resources.

Plants exhibited include those related to the sources of the different fibers in Aklan particularly the bromeliads which are members of the pineapple family, the palms which is the source of raffia and heliconias which are related to the abaca plants.

Showcase of the Aklan woven piña cloth is being highlighted by a fashion show dubbed "Aninag" which featured multi-awarded fashion designer Nono Palmos and internationally-acclaimed lifestyle craft designer PJ Arañador’s latest design of gowns, barongs, contemporary apparels and fashion accents using piña and other indigenous fibers as abaca and raffia presented by the country’s top models led by actress Dina Bonnevie who donned clothes and accessories made of exotic, fragile-looking yet durable piña and abaca clothes.

Miraflores said, this year, the festival had broken the last year’s record of total cash sales and booked orders of P2 million.

The 4th Fiber Festival is a joint project of the Provincial Government of Aklan; Aklan Piña Manufacturers and Traders Association Inc. (Aklan Piña-mantra Inc.); Hugod Aklanon Producers Association Inc.; Advocate of Philippine Fair Trade Inc., Arts Council of Aklan Foundation Inc.; Aklan Ati-Atihan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.; Sampaguita Gardens, Department of Trade and Industry-Aklan Provincial Office and Fiber industry Development Authority.

Another activity lined-up for the celebration of the Aklan’s 47th anniversary is the Mangrove Festival featuring multi-awarded, 70-hectare mangrove reforestation project – the Bakhawan Eco-Park and Eco-Tourism Center in New Buswang, Kalibo considered as the best in Asia and recipient of the Golden Eagle Award for Excellence in Environmental Preservation. An "eco-walk made of bamboos will take one onto the mangrove plantation and bamboo jetty or take a banca during high tide or cross the bridge to get into another mangot plantation. The place is home to an abundance of fish, crabs, shellfishes, birds and wild ducks.