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 on their business.
In an interview, Analiza de Asis, president of the Baraclayan Weavers Association, said their organization started in June 2018.
She and two other weavers started at the Indag-an Primary Multipurpose Cooperative in Barangay Indag-an, also in Miagao, and with the support of their barangay chairman, 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 group temporarily stopped operations in March last year, but they gradually opened in October of the same year and received an order of 3,000 pieces of masks from London.
Before the pandemic, their main market was Manila and other parts of Iloilo.
Last month de Asis brought some of their products to the town’s tourism office, but she stated that they are still waiting to get paid.
They also have orders from Carles town. 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 added.
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 P700, shawl is from P300 to P700, cloth with a design used for barong and dresses costs P450 per meter, the table runner is P900, and lei is at P150.
“It feels like a pandemic, but we are hoping to recover,” de Asis said, adding that they are looking forward to the lifting of travel restrictions.(PNA)
