Town keeps weaving tradition alive, well

BUHI, Camarines Sur, Philippines—No one can actually remember when the weaving tradition began in this Bicol town but the “One Town, One Product” (Otop) thrust of the local government unit (LGU) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has kept it alive, providing additional income to farming and fishing families.

Adopting woven products as the town’s “one product” would set Buhi apart from other Camarines Sur towns, said Salvador Espiritu, the local Otop development officer.

This meant reviving the weaving tradition in seven of 38 villages in Buhi, a first-class town that thrives on farming and fishing.

Aside from threads traditionally used for hand loom weaving here, the water hyacinth emerged as a raw material for weaving when the Otop program started seven years ago.

Espiritu said people found that aside from its other uses in handicraft, the plant (Eichornia crassipes) proved to be a suitable and practical material for weaving fabrics.

Water hyacinth is abundant in Lake Buhi, known as the habitat of sinarapan, the smallest commercial fish in the world.

Water hyacinth stalks harvested from the lake are air dried and processed for at least a month for weaving.

Espiritu said water hyacinth has been successfully used as material for clothes. It made a debut on the catwalk here in September 2009 with Venus Raj as model, a year before she lost her bid to become Ms Universe in 2010.

Clarita Noble, 44, said her grandparents and parents were into hand loom weaving for as long as she could remember, a tradition she continued.

Noble became full-time weaver in 2004, producing blankets and scarves that she sold in fiestas and other special occasions.

Noble now produces knapsacks, sling bags, coin purses, neckties, women’s bags, cell phone pouches and slippers.

These are displayed for walk-in clients in her home, which doubles as her workshop.

However, her production has been hampered by limited capital and lack of equipment that could help her mass produce. Nonetheless, the rewards came in other ways.

Hand loom weaving has also become a source of school allowance for Noel Castro, 19, a third year nursing student in Iriga City, who earns an average of P100 a day for his work.

During school vacations and non-school days, Castro would work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“It’s a big help to me. Instead of asking from my parents for my daily allowance, I can now provide for myself,” he said.