Loren

Legarda files bill to save weaving livelihood of IPs

August 13, 2022 PS Jun M. Sarmiento 366 views

SAYING that the country’s indigenous peoples (IPs) need much-needed livelihood assistance in these trying times, Senator Loren Legarda has filed a bill to provide support for the country’s local textile industry, weavers, and artisans, saying that local weavers and artisans continuously safeguard our country’s rich heritage.

She added that the weaving industry needs support to cope with the increasing price of raw materials and marketing concerns.

“We must give our weaving industry a fighting chance. Our handwoven fabrics deserve recognition,” Legarda noted.

Eyeing the promotion of the country’s weaving industry, the four-term senator Loren Legarda recently filed SB 241, or the “Philippine Handloom Weaving Industry Development Act of 2022”, which seeks to empower weavers and mainstream government programs to develop the local textile industry.

Under the proposed measure, a National Handloom Weaving Department Council will be established composed of representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the Garments and Textile Industry Development Office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The council will generate the National Handloom Weaving Industry Development Policy to generate a roadmap for the industry, intellectual property framework for textiles, innovation, and promotion of textile-related technical skills and vocational education and training.

“Our handwoven fabrics deserve recognition,” Legarda noted, adding that handloom weaving is one of the country’s most time-honored industries and generates income in rural areas,” Legarda pointed out.

Legarda, who is a patron of the country’s first permanent textile gallery, “Hibla ng Lahing Filipino”, also authored RA 9242 or the “Philippine Tropical Fabrics Law”, which has previously provided support through the Philippine Fiber Development Authority (PHILFIDA) for the establishment of weaving centers and cotton processing facilities nationwide.