Osmeña: Wanted: Sustainable earth leaders
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Philippine National Treasures need not be romanticized
It was almost a year since the permanent exhibit of Gold of Ancestors had opened. I have been meaning to go ever since.
I saw the tv feature, Gintong Pamana, on abs-cbn. I can vaguely remember a resource interviewee saying "we have been searching for what is the Filipino identity... this is it."
What?! I was expecting they could enlighten us by sharing some archaeology-related insights. I think they should not gear towards deifying the objects.
Shouldn't there be a technical-yet-narrative documentary for these treasures? Reconstruction could do a lot to uncover things. Archaeologists, artisans, designers, lateros, engineers and anthropologists should jump in.
What kind of tools, materials and equipment were available to our ancestors during those times? How did they develop techniques out of these resources? What are the typical professions (artisans, craftsmen, alchemists) during those times? Why were they making such exquisite designs? What were they really for?
Well, this might be going too far... wishful thinking. I should just accept the verdict that we will never get past viewing national treasures as static objects on a pedestal.
More than the oooohs and the aaaahhs, we need the whys, hows, whats, whos.
I saw the tv feature, Gintong Pamana, on abs-cbn. I can vaguely remember a resource interviewee saying "we have been searching for what is the Filipino identity... this is it."
What?! I was expecting they could enlighten us by sharing some archaeology-related insights. I think they should not gear towards deifying the objects.
Shouldn't there be a technical-yet-narrative documentary for these treasures? Reconstruction could do a lot to uncover things. Archaeologists, artisans, designers, lateros, engineers and anthropologists should jump in.
What kind of tools, materials and equipment were available to our ancestors during those times? How did they develop techniques out of these resources? What are the typical professions (artisans, craftsmen, alchemists) during those times? Why were they making such exquisite designs? What were they really for?
Well, this might be going too far... wishful thinking. I should just accept the verdict that we will never get past viewing national treasures as static objects on a pedestal.
More than the oooohs and the aaaahhs, we need the whys, hows, whats, whos.
Clippings: Welcome to Eairth by stylebible.ph
Melissa Dizon:
“It started from a road trip with my aunt and uncle searching for Filipino waves. It took us from Manila to the farthest north in Pagudpod and back down through Ilocos, combined with that pellucid morning when I ran into the Mangyan village in Mindoro. I came across a tribal girl in a destroyed ACDC tee shirt atop a Mangyan peasant skirt and a bolo strung on a cord around a tiny waist. It changed the course of my life and I decided then that there was something beautiful and pure about the most primal when it is effortlessly mixed with the hyper future. I decided then with the help of my aunt and uncle to embark on a journey to integrate our rich primitive resources with the abstract modernity we know.”
Posted on http://www.stylebible.ph/article.php?id=391
“It started from a road trip with my aunt and uncle searching for Filipino waves. It took us from Manila to the farthest north in Pagudpod and back down through Ilocos, combined with that pellucid morning when I ran into the Mangyan village in Mindoro. I came across a tribal girl in a destroyed ACDC tee shirt atop a Mangyan peasant skirt and a bolo strung on a cord around a tiny waist. It changed the course of my life and I decided then that there was something beautiful and pure about the most primal when it is effortlessly mixed with the hyper future. I decided then with the help of my aunt and uncle to embark on a journey to integrate our rich primitive resources with the abstract modernity we know.”
Posted on http://www.stylebible.ph/article.php?id=391
Clippings: Now stems of saluyot being rich source of natural fibers by fibre2fashion.com
Posted on http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/fibre-news/philippines/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=75953
on 11 Aug 2009
on 11 Aug 2009
| From delectable food to haute couture, saluyot, like pineapple and banana, can be a source of natural fiber for chic apparels. Researchers have recognized the importance of banana leaf sheaths and pineapple leaves in producing cloth of exportable quality. Now comes saluyot stems. The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) has developed new sets of earth-friendly, fiber-blended yarns from polyester and stems of saluyot (Corchorus olitorius.), being a rich source of natural fibers. PTRI director, Dr. Carlos C. Tomboc, stressed the Institute’s focus on studying nontraditional tropical fiber sources such as maguey (Agave cantala Roxb.), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), and saluyot in addition to abaca (Musa textiles Nee), anabo (Abroma augusta Linn.), banana (Musa sapientum), kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), pineapple (Ananas comosus Linn.), and ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.), which PTRI has studied. The Institute is pushing for the use of fiber-rich plants in textile production to support the local industry in reducing its import of synthetic-based fibers from other countries. PTRI’s research trials show that saluyot stems when soaked in water for 21 to 24 days could yield at least 5 percent fibers. Spinning the treated fibers with polyester produced 80/20, 70/30, and 60/40 polyester/saluyot with yarn counts of 25–29 Ne, which when woven, can produce fine, smooth, and blemish-free fabrics ideal for manufacturing garments. Blends of saluyot and polyester fabrics can also be made into home textiles such as curtains/drapes, beddings, table runners and linens as well as raw material for nets, ropes, and other farm gears. In some countries, saluyot fabric is used as geotextile to prevent soil erosion and landslides. PTRI continues its research trials in spinning saluyot fiber with cotton to increase the all-natural fiber component in producing saluyot fabric or burlap. According to PTRI researchers, other tests will also be performed to determine the ability of the fabric to resist deformation and the textile surface to resist wear by friction and other standard procedures to assure the product’s quality. The United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared 2009 as the International Year of Natural Fibres and has chosen saluyot as one of the 15 of the world’s major natural fibers. PTRI is one with the UN in recognizing saluyot fiber’s potential in apparel, home, industrial, and geotextile applications. Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) is the lead agency of the Department of Science and Technology in textile research and development. The Institute is dedicated to transferring technologies and rendering technical services, promoting the use of indigenous resources, and developing technical competence in textile production and quality assurance. | |||
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Clippings: Water hyacinth would be a natural fiber source by fibre2fashion.com
Posted on http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/newsdetails.aspx?News_id=76668
on Sept. 1, 2009
on Sept. 1, 2009
| The stalks of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) are a viable natural source of alternative textile material, according to the Philippine Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI). Researchers at PTRI are studying water hyacinth fibers as raw material for the manufacture of clothing and home fabrics. Processing the fibers with polyester staples initially produced blended yarns with 20–35 percent water hyacinth component. The stalks went through a series of chemical and mechanical treatment to achieve the crimp property of wool for better processing, reduce the plant’s glue-like or gum content, and soften the fibers to make them fine and fit for knitting and weaving into apparel and other home textiles. For a yarn count of 15 Ne suitable for apparels, blends of 80/20 and 65/35 of polyester/water hyacinth fibers were used. The same blends of polyester/water hyacinth fibers were used to get a yarn count of 10–12 Ne ideal for home textiles such as curtains, upholstery, table runners, napkins, bed cover, pillow case, and other items found at home. In the Philippines, the proliferation of water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic nuisance, in freshwater bodies such as lakes and ponds has led the researchers to study the plant’s effective uses as a natural wastewater purifier and an indicator of the level of pollution in the water besides a natural source of fiber. | ||
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Clippings: Fruit of the Loom, Preview Nov 2007 Pia Rojas
Pina, which has a shiny, semi-transparent quality, is already often used i the national men's dress shirt, the Barong Tagalog, and of course, wedding gowns. Spearheaded by the Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation, the combination of silk and pineapple fiber (pina silk) is now being marketed under the brand name Tepina. This textile is made of 50 percent silk while the other half is made of tough, translucent fiber of pineapple plant, known locally as pina. It is lightweight, all-natural, and also noted for its tensile strength as well as for its appropriateness to the tropical climate of the Philippines.
A homespun fabric with a transparent finesse, Tepina's gossamer look and feel is achieved by using silk as wrap (the vertical weave) and pineapple fibers as the weft (the horizontal weave). This combination gives the brilliancy and strength of silk, while maintaining translucency, rigidity of pina. Naturally, Tepina maintains an off-white hue. When dyed, this lustrous fabric shines with color. The fabric may also be embroidered with unique designs.
The entire process of making Tepina is hand-made, from the gathering of pina fibers to the weaving. The fibers are selected individually then knotted, making sure that each filament is the right size and shade.
Tepina utilizes The Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation's training program on extraction, processing, knotting, warping and weaving of pina and other endemic fibers like abaca, pandan, rattan and many others, into fine clothing and home accessories. Based in Puerto Prinsesa City, in the island of Palawan, the foundation may seem worlds away from the country's fashion center of Manila, much less Paris or Milan, but it's working tirelessly and has found much support from artists--writers, photographers, and designers Rajo Laurel, Iverluski, Aseron, Puey Quinones, Patty Eustaquio, and Patrice Ramos-Diaz to name a few--who have singed on to help promote the brand. "There's a certain satisfaction you get from using Tepina because you know you're helping a community of women, who are the weavers, aside from using an indigenous fabric," explains designer Patty Estaquio, President of the Young Designerss Guild. "Plus, there's a dye to match the specific needs of a client, a service not available with other fabrics."
"The art of the Philippine weaving is slowly disappearing," laments noted designer Rajo Laurel, "but with the advent of Tepina, we see a growth and the evolution of Philippine textile. It's exciting and inspiring to be part of something totally Filipino. Poets use words, painters use paint. I use fabric as my medium, and with this textile, I'm able to express myself eloquently."
In today's environmentally and socially conscious world, Tepina's hand-women, all-natural pineapple fiber fabric should find resonance with stylish visionaries who want to go green and be ethically fashionable. It's sustainable luxury for those who take pride in clothes made from local materials and designs.
Tepina apparel and Barong Tagalog, accessories (bags, shawls, neckties), and accessories for the home (table runners, screens, pillows, placemats) are available at their Pasay showroom. Tepina fabrics are sold per meter. The width of the fabric is limited to the hand span on the loom with a maximum width of 30 inches, though it can also be woven into a narrower width by special request. The plain woven Tepina fabric is pegged at P600 to P1400 per meter. Tepina weaves with design on warp, straight insertions, or with gaps range from P650 to P1000 per meter. Textured Tepina with patterned insertion ad scattered Suksuk retails between P700 to P1300. Textured shawls costs P900 to P1650, while ties costs P1300.
The Tepina showroom is located a 2635 Taft Avenue extension, Pasay City. Tel. No. 831 9816
A homespun fabric with a transparent finesse, Tepina's gossamer look and feel is achieved by using silk as wrap (the vertical weave) and pineapple fibers as the weft (the horizontal weave). This combination gives the brilliancy and strength of silk, while maintaining translucency, rigidity of pina. Naturally, Tepina maintains an off-white hue. When dyed, this lustrous fabric shines with color. The fabric may also be embroidered with unique designs.
The entire process of making Tepina is hand-made, from the gathering of pina fibers to the weaving. The fibers are selected individually then knotted, making sure that each filament is the right size and shade.
Tepina utilizes The Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation's training program on extraction, processing, knotting, warping and weaving of pina and other endemic fibers like abaca, pandan, rattan and many others, into fine clothing and home accessories. Based in Puerto Prinsesa City, in the island of Palawan, the foundation may seem worlds away from the country's fashion center of Manila, much less Paris or Milan, but it's working tirelessly and has found much support from artists--writers, photographers, and designers Rajo Laurel, Iverluski, Aseron, Puey Quinones, Patty Eustaquio, and Patrice Ramos-Diaz to name a few--who have singed on to help promote the brand. "There's a certain satisfaction you get from using Tepina because you know you're helping a community of women, who are the weavers, aside from using an indigenous fabric," explains designer Patty Estaquio, President of the Young Designerss Guild. "Plus, there's a dye to match the specific needs of a client, a service not available with other fabrics."
"The art of the Philippine weaving is slowly disappearing," laments noted designer Rajo Laurel, "but with the advent of Tepina, we see a growth and the evolution of Philippine textile. It's exciting and inspiring to be part of something totally Filipino. Poets use words, painters use paint. I use fabric as my medium, and with this textile, I'm able to express myself eloquently."
In today's environmentally and socially conscious world, Tepina's hand-women, all-natural pineapple fiber fabric should find resonance with stylish visionaries who want to go green and be ethically fashionable. It's sustainable luxury for those who take pride in clothes made from local materials and designs.
Tepina apparel and Barong Tagalog, accessories (bags, shawls, neckties), and accessories for the home (table runners, screens, pillows, placemats) are available at their Pasay showroom. Tepina fabrics are sold per meter. The width of the fabric is limited to the hand span on the loom with a maximum width of 30 inches, though it can also be woven into a narrower width by special request. The plain woven Tepina fabric is pegged at P600 to P1400 per meter. Tepina weaves with design on warp, straight insertions, or with gaps range from P650 to P1000 per meter. Textured Tepina with patterned insertion ad scattered Suksuk retails between P700 to P1300. Textured shawls costs P900 to P1650, while ties costs P1300.
The Tepina showroom is located a 2635 Taft Avenue extension, Pasay City. Tel. No. 831 9816
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