Piña weaving training center in Aklan pushed

A woman loom-weaves piña fiber in Kalibo, Aklan. “Piña” fiber is extracted from the leaves of a pineapple plant. The fibers are ivory-white in color and naturally glossy. The cloth is translucent, soft and fine with high luster. PHILIPPINE FOLKLIFE MUSEUM FOUNDATION
A woman loom-weaves piña fiber in Kalibo, Aklan. “Piña” fiber is extracted from the leaves of a pineapple plant. The fibers are ivory-white in color and naturally glossy. The cloth is translucent, soft and fine with high luster. PHILIPPINE FOLKLIFE MUSEUM FOUNDATION

KALIBO, Aklan – A proposed bill was passed in 18th Congress which seeks to establish a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) training center in this capital town.  

Cong. Carlito Marquez of the 1st District authored House Bill No. 623 to put up the TESDA Piña Handloom Weaving Training and Assessment Center.

The proposed measure is pending with the House committee on higher and technical education. 

“Pina weaving in Aklan is an age-old tradition. The traditional loom weaving industry remains a source of income and livelihood despite the modern cloth-making technology,” Marquez said.

The training and assessment center in Kalibo will provide training and skills development programs for students, out-of-school youths and residents with marginal income and indigenous communities. It will also provide continuous development and upgrading of traditional folk craft of weaving as a livelihood and income. 

Marquez said his bill also seeks for a piña Handloom Weaving Development Program (PHWDP) to help weavers in Aklan and to improve the competitiveness of piña cloth in the world market.

Once enacted into law, the program will strengthen the collaboration of piña handloom weaving industry players and the development of piña fiber sector.

The bill is also pushing the PHWDP to maintain a Pina Handloom and Weaving Information Center to serve as library, museum and repository of all piña weaving information.

It will establish research and technology hubs, development farms, mobile training programs and extension training centers for skills standardization and design concepts throughout the province of Aklan to enhance product demand and competitive productivity for piña handloom weaving.

Marquez said international promotion and market awareness will help the region’s economy and thousands of indigenous weavers and families to increase their profit margins. (With Akean Forum/PN)

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