‘Lubid’ takes center stage in town fiesta

A GIANT jar made of abaca was one of the products paraded in the streets of Malilipot town in Albay province during its celebration of the Lubid Festival. MARK ALVIC ESPLANA/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

MALILIPOT, Albay—The streets of this city became a living display of the many forms that the town’s most famous product, abaca, can take—a giant chair, a giant jar, a giant gown.

Abaca was unmistakably the star of the show as the town celebrated its Lubid (Rope) Festival on Monday.

Now in its fourth year, Lubid Festival (July 1-15) seeks to promote abaca and the town’s other products in the country and abroad.

Emma Bordeos, Malilipot tourism officer, said the town sent out street dancers in colorful costumes and paraded giant handicraft products to showcase the craft of artisans and the hard work of abaca farmers.

She said 65 percent of the town’s population is directly involved in handicraft production, particularly the abaca twine.

“This is our way of promoting other ‘lubid’ products such as bags, which is already a known product in demand in the local and international market,” she said.

Five groups of performers danced in the streets.

Melvin Estacion, 46, a resident of Barangay San Francisco, said the festival offers a respite from the stress that handicraft and abaca twine makers go through.

“This is our life. By making lubid products, we are able to cope with hand-to-mouth daily existence, so I’m very thankful that the abaca industry is revived,” he said.

Estacion, however, expressed concern over the future of the abaca industry as the number of plantations is decreasing and some are being taken over by “kaingin” or slash-and-burn farming.

To sustain the supply of abaca, Estacion said village officials are discouraging farmers from practicing kaingin and instead plant more abaca.

Remedios Bonto, 78, a resident of Barangay San Isidro, who has been making “lubid” since childhood, said she was happy that the sale of abaca twine is still good.

Through selling lubid products, she was able to send her children and grandchildren to school.

She said she wants to keep the craft of making lubid alive.

“As much as possible, we would like to teach our grandchildren how to make lubid as we don’t want to lose this livelihood especially with the youth of today being very digitally oriented,” she said.

Malilipot town is on the eastern side of Albay province. It has 18 villages, 15 of which are engaged in handicraft making. Three island villages are into fishing.