Philippine Handloom Weaving Center launched in Taguig
Dr. Julius Leaño, Jr., director IV of the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI), shared the functions of the Philippine Handloom Weaving Center launched on July 7, 2025 in Taguig City. The center will hold handloom training and upskilling, product design and innovation, weaving machine engineering, and community-driven festivals.
The Philippine Handloom Weaving Festival, to be held during the National Science and Technology Week in Laoag City, will allow weavers to share their knowledge, innovations, and experiences.
VIDEO BY ALLEN LIMOS
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00:00It actually has seven functions. One of which, ito yung pinaka-obvious, is the weaving, training, and technical support, which we are actually already doing through our textile academy.
00:13Ito po yung training sa basic at saka advanced handloom weaving, even the digital loom designing, even digitizing, etc. etc.
00:21So this is part of our portfolio of activities as far as skills development is concerned.
00:29Natatapos ba doon? Hindi. Because we move to the second function, which is weave design, innovation, and product development.
00:36Of course, kasama natin yung traditional patterns, but then there must be a new way of going over these things.
00:42Thus, our way of using up-to-date technologies to be able to develop new weaves and to be able to perfect them for specific applications.
00:51Actually, ang pinagtatawanan namin po dito is, nakakatawa minsan na yung bag mo, nabili para ng isa, yun yung damit niya.
00:59O di kaya, yung cobre kami, pila palang ginapit siyang throw pillow, ginapit din siyang damit.
01:05So, there are a lot of things that has to be understood on all these textiles para huwag natin ipilit yung hindi naman po pwede.
01:11Ibig sabihin, if it's meant for clothing, then it is meant for clothing. It has a set of standards.
01:17Which leads me to the third, quality assurance or quality assessment and standards development.
01:22There are different fabrics that are expected for different applications.
01:26Huwag natin silang pagsamasamahin.
01:28Kaya yun yung pa nagtataka, bakit ang tikas-tigas?
01:30Eh kasi po, cobre ka mapuian, hindi naman po yung pagdamit.
01:34O di kaya, ginamit mo siyang fest, eh, hindi naman parang dyan, pang lampshade naman pala siya.
01:39So, these are things by which we have to work closely with our stakeholders as well
01:45because it has gone beyond science.
01:47It already goes into consumer behavior and consumerism as a whole.
01:52So, part 3 po ng standards na to is a collaboration with the Department of Training Industry
01:57because we are part of the Technical Committee 18 on Textiles.
02:02By the way, we just have revived this Technical Committee
02:04and we are happy to also let you know that the first subcommittee under test TC18
02:10is the subcommittee at Handlung Weaving,
02:12which will mean that we have a committee looking at the standards and specification for our textiles.
02:19The fourth of the functions of this Handlung Weaving Center is Weave Machine Engineering
02:24or Weaving Machine Engineering.
02:26Hindi lang po tayo gumagawa or nagwi-weave or nagdi-design.
02:28We even make the loops appropriate for the different communities.
02:32As a matter of fact, may mga community tayo, makikita niyo po mamaya,
02:36ayaw nila yung sinulit kung nasa baba, gusto nila nasa taas, fine.
02:40This is where the engineering comes in.
02:42Yung mga implements, things that you need to repair the loops, for example,
02:47you'll see later on at preempt some of the more advanced ways
02:51by which we can actually make shuttles or make implements for our weaving machines.
02:57And, oh, na yung sinulit ko.
02:59And the fourth, the fifth na ko.
03:01The fifth is the Philippine Handlung Weaving Festival.
03:06So it's a take-off.
03:07I don't know if it conforms with the one you're seeing in the slide,
03:12but the Philippine Handlung Weaving Festival is a take-off
03:17from the Handlung Weaving Conference that we've been holding regularly.
03:20The difference of this festival is
03:23hindi gobyerno or hindi ta kami ang nagsasalita.
03:27Ang nagsasalita are the weavers.
03:29We have to listen to them
03:30because I think they know better in Handlung Weaving than we do.
03:34We listen to them because they are also the source of further innovations
03:37as far as the loom, weaving, etc.
03:39And, oh, na yung sinulit ko, na yung sinulit ko, na yung sinulit ko.
