Woven wonders
MANILA, Philippines - The onslaught of modern technology spelled the doom of the abaca industry, which used to be a major Philippine export product in the early 1970s. Gone are the days when different products made of abaca — handbags, curtains, rugs, and other household items — enjoyed brisk sales not only here but also on the export market. The demand for abaca products has dwindled in recent years not only because of the rise of cheaper alternatives made of synthetic materials but also due to the fact that most of us stopped patronizing our local wares.
Anthropologist and museum curator Dr. Dave Baradas is saddened by this unfortunate turn of events.
“If we stop patronizing local arts and crafts, not only the industry will die but also people in the villages because it’s their lone source of livelihood,” explains Baradas, a member of the committee on intangible heritage of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
Filipinos look down on abaca as an inferior product. For most of us, this fiber is just a material used for bags, ropes, and home décor. We never saw its potential for garments.
“Abaca is a beautiful piece of fabric. I’m wearing a barong tagalog right now which is made of abaca. It’s soft and airy … not itchy at all. What I’m trying to say is we should not give up on local products. Let’s try to figure out new roads for development, promotion, revitalization, and show people that these products are useful in our lives. Let’s keep the economic wheel turning,” Dr. Baradas enthuses.
In a bid to promote and introduce new ways to better appreciate not just abaca but also other indigenous fibers, the Asean Handricraft Promotion and Development Association will hold the 2nd AHPADA International Arts and Crafts Expo from Oct. 26 to 28 at the Philippine Trade Training Center on Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Pasay City.
The expo is also aimed at bringing about greater awareness of the importance of arts and crafts in the cultural roots and economic development of Asia-Pacific countries.
“The dwindling popularity of indigenous fibers and the weaving industry is not only endemic to our country. It’s international in scope. It affects the whole of Southeast Asia,” explains AHPADA president Mina Gabor.
Spotlight On Fibers
The expo will showcase the arts and crafts in country pavilions from Asean member-countries and from other Asia Pacific countries such as China, India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, the United States, Maldives, and Mongolia. The organizers are still waiting for the confirmation of Myanmar, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia.
The AHPADA expo features an exhibition of the best woven products in Asia Pacific countries, business networking, the International Conference on Business Opportunities for Natural Fibers, crafts demonstrations, cultural events and performances, and a special setting by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
The exhibition covers the industrial use of natural fibers; bed, bath and linen; furniture and furnishings; garden; accessories; gifts; housewares and home décor; kitchen and tableware; food and fashion merchandise; christmas and other holiday décor; stationery and desk accessories; toys and games, among others.
“The public will see a focus on natural fiber simply because this year has been declared by the United Nations as the celebration of the year of natural fibers,” notes Gabor.
With that declaration, the UN has created an opportunity for the Philippines and other countries to promote natural fibers.
“The production of natural fibers and sale of their processed products make major contributions to poverty and employment alleviation,” she adds.
With the theme “Weaves of the World,” the expo will showcase the best woven products in Asia Pacific countries.
In the Philippines, top weavers from Ilocos, the Cordilleras, Mindanao, and the Visayas will showcase their impressive wares to their foreign counterparts as well as the public.
In a press conference held recently at the Garden Restaurant on Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Dr. Baradas gave us a preview of the international expo.
Neatly arranged on the table was his impressive collection of traditional and contemporary woven fabrics made by indigenous craftsmen in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
We feasted our eyes on the intricate embroideries that adorn the handwoven fabrics, the abel Iloko blankets worn as sarongs, shawls and colorful frocks, a cropped jacket by the T’bolis, woven shirts and tapis from Abra, the red Andon malong, among others.
“What you see right now is a range of Filipino fibers from North to South. Things that some of you aren’t even familiar with. We have a diversity of weaving techniques, but these aren’t known to the public,” relates Dr. Baradas.
Through the expo, AHPADA is bent on promoting not just abaca but other indigenous fabrics as well.
“Maguey, an ornamental plant which looks like pineapple, can be transformed into a very fine product. We have these things, which are unique to our country, but nobody pays attention to them,” says Dr. Baradas.
Seal Of Excellence
One of the major thrusts of the expo is to recognize outstanding crafts and handicrafts makers and be able to put up the first Seal of AHPADA Shops through the UNESCO Seal of Excellence for Handicrafts program.
“The program aims to encourage artisans to produce handicrafts using traditional skills, patterns, and themes in an innovative way to ensure the continuity and sustainability of these traditions and skills,” notes Gabor.
A Seal of Excellence-certified product meets the highest level of craft excellence and is distinguished as a benchmark for craft production.
An international selection panel — nominated by UNESCO — judges the entries annually. To be certified with the Seal, a product must be excellent (demonstrated excellence and standard-setting quality in craftsmanship), authentic (an expression of cultural identity and traditional aesthetic values), innovative (innovation in design and production), eco-friendly (respect for the environment in materials and production techniques), marketable (marketability of an item with potential for the world market), and fair (the producer must affirm that no labor law was violated and no individual or group was exploited at any stage of the item’s production).
“The Seal Award benefits crafts producers by providing promotional certification to attest to the quality and authenticity of a product. Just look for the UNESCO Seal when buying quality handicrafts,” adds Gabor.
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For queries concerning the Unesco seal and application procedures, visit http://unescoartisans.org or http://www.unescobkk.org/cuture/craftseal. For the AHPADA expo, call 832-0996, 834-2994, 392-7550.
