Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
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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