HOPEFUL. Photo shows women weavers of the Baraclayan Weavers Association. The association continues to produce loom woven products amid this pandemic, optimistic that the industry will recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic soon. (PNA photo from BWA FB page)
ILOILO CITY – Weavers from a village in Miagao, Iloilo, who are known for their loom woven products called “hablon”, are optimistic that the industry would recover amid the impact of the pandemic to their business.
In an interview Thursday, Analiza de Asis, president of the Baraclayan Weavers Association (BWA), said their organization has only started in June 2018.
She and two other weavers started at the Indag-an Primary Multipurpose Cooperative (IPMPC) in Barangay Indag-an, also in Miagao, and with the support of their Barangay chair Marlou Niones, they were able to put up a group in their village.
“We have 28 members but only 12 are into weaving,” she said, adding that they only have 13 available looms.
They produce hablon “patadyong”, leis, cloth, shawl, and table runner, among others.
The current demand is for leis and table runner, she said.
They temporarily stopped operations in March 2020 but they gradually opened in October of the same year.
“We received an order of 3,000 pieces of masks from London,” she said.
Before the pandemic, their main market was Manila and other parts of Iloilo.
Last month, she brought some of their products to the town’s tourism office but she said they are still waiting to get paid.
They also have orders from Carles town but due to travel restrictions, the hablon products are yet to be picked up from the tourism office.
“The tourism has been helping us promote our woven products,” she said.
They are being paid for every piece of the product they make, hence, they have no income if there are no buyers.
A piece of patadyong costs PHP700, shawl is from PHP300 to PHP700, cloth with design that is usually used for barong and dresses costs PHP450 per meter, table runner is PHP900 and lei is PHP150.
“It really feels like a pandemic but we are hoping to recover,” she said, adding that they are looking forward to the lifting of travel restrictions.
De Asis said she needs to earn on her own and not just rely on her husband who works in a construction site to support the studies of their six children.
Her family is enrolled with the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and receiving aid under the special amelioration program.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is also helping them promote their products.
They are grateful to their barangay chief who has been promoting their products on social media. (PNA)
