It all started as Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan’s vision to uplift the lives of her province mates and rebuild their communities after supertyphoon “Yolanda” ravaged the town of Basey, Samar, in 2013. From her initial vision to get them back on their feet, this endeavor has grown into a thriving, sustainable livelihood project.
“Lara” means “to weave” in Waray. But reinventing the banig as a means to rebuild the communities of Basey wasn’t an easy feat. According to Tan, the initial designs needed a lot of work. But through hard work, determination and help from a creative team who taught them design, the weavers came through, using indigenous materials from Samar like the tikog, a jointless grass sturdier than pandan and buri that is dried and then woven.
Fresh designs
Pieces in the form of shoes, bags, accessories and home décor soon emerged, which caught the attention of Spark Samar, the tourism arm of the province. Four of the biggest banig houses of Basey were challenged to create fresh designs that are now sold under the Lara brand.
Its range of products was recently unveiled at Spark Samar’s Travel Fair 2018 at SM Megamall Fashion Hall.
It was hosted by actress, producer and multi-awarded talk-show host of CNN Philippines’ “Leading Women” Angel Jacob and directed by renowned model and photographer Jo Ann Bitagcol.
Standout pieces included vibrant summer totes with bold prints and chic sun visors. A preshow chat with Tan revealed that designs were inspired by the weavers’ daily experiences, dreams, and even their imagination.
“This handicraft product of tedious banig weaving is a labor of love,” Tan said, adding that beyond the livelihood benefits, the weavers look forward to greater pride of place and dignity.
Since the weavers are primarily the older women of Basey, the brand is now collaborating with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Department of Education to teach the younger generation the art of banig weaving. —CONTRIBUTED
Call 09175896917 or e-mail larasamarph@gmail.com.