MANILA, Philippines—Once again, the traditions of woven, handmade textile that have survived centuries in weaving communities all over the Philippines will be highlighted at the fourth Likhang Habi Bazaar to be held on October 24 to 26 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Ayala Center, Makati City.

The bazaar is sponsored by Habi, the Philippine Textile Council, founded in 2009 to research, develop and promote Philippine textile.

After visiting weaving communities in rural areas and marginalized communities all over the country, Habi got to know the problems facing the struggling weaving industry: a lack of materials, the need for contemporary designs along with the traditional, marketability, and the loss of interest in weaving among the younger members of the community.

The Likhang Habi Bazaar was thus designed as a first step to bring together weavers, suppliers, designers, market experts as well as the buying public. Here they gain the insight and experience of what attracts and sells, and how to present it. The exposure to fellow weavers and the buying public has visibly raised the quality of the products on offer each year.

From Luzon to Mindanao, weaving communities have used pineapple, abaca, cotton, silk, banana, buri and pandan to produce their own particular weaves which will be featured in the bazaar: Inabel from the Ilocos region and La Union, Cordillera weaves from Banaue and Padcal in Benguet, tnalak (an abaca weave) from Lake Sebu in Mindanao, piña from Aklan and Palawan, hablon and patadyong from Iloilo, Mangyan textiles and baskets from Mindoro, Yakan weave from Basilan, mats from Samar and Bukidnon.

The weaves are rendered into home accessories such as blankets, tablecloths, bedcovers, lampshades, runners placemats, napkins, baskets and mats.

Check out the contemporary and innovative interpretations of clothing from young designers such as Len Cabili, La Herminia in Aklan and the Lim sisters as well as barong Tagalog material and ready to wear barongs in different textiles like hablon, tnalak, abaca, piña-silk, piña-cotton.

On offer too are unusual accessories such as shoes made of tnalak cloth, beaded and woven clutches, scarves and wraps and lengths of woven raw material that can be fashioned into anything imaginative.

This year’s bazaar theme is “Gawang Kamay, Banig ng Buhay”, which will highlight the craft of mat making as a textile art. Specially featured will be mats gathered from all over the Visayas, Mindanao, Bicol and the Ilocos region.

As Habi is a member of the Asean traditional textile community, the bazaar always features the products of an Asean member country, which will be Myanmar this year.

For inquiries, please contact Eleanor Moldez at [email protected], and Tel. 4782765 , 0908 8810414.