A GROUP of women from East Quirino Hill has kept the tradition of loom weaving alive while providing livelihood for many.
Weaving is seen in almost each household in East Quirino Hill, where it has thrived for almost three decades.
Just four years after the Department of Trade and Industry provided the weavers with loom machines and tools, D Dreamers Organization is set to open its showroom at the barangay hall.
The showroom will feature their products and is envisioned to become a tourist destination, where visitors can witness loom weaving first hand.
Elena Insong, vice-president of D Dreamers Organization, said several households in the village have loom machines that serve as the source of income of women and their families.
Insong said the women of the organization have successfully taught the youth and their husbands how to do the ancient art of loom weaving.
“We do doormats, place mats, table runners, wall decorations and couch covers and supply the needs of the city,” Insong said.
The floor and door mats are sold in the market. Some shops in the city also sell the organization's products.
Insong and other members of the organization - Esther Lasin, Marcela Malaggay, Jocelyn Bawing, Maylen Michael, Francisca Salipo, Innay Sagalla and Betty Lumipas - attest that weaving has helped the women in the community by providing an extra source of income. Some do it as a part-time job while others are engaged in it full time.
The group of women in East Quirino Hill were taught to weave by their grandmothers and have now passed on the skill and tradition to their family.
A weaver can finish a maximum of 30 door mats in a day and can fill an order of 150 in a week, using only discarded cloth as their loom.
In the Cordillera, weaving is endemic with looms varying depending on area and ethnic group.
The most popular among the weavers is the late Narda Capuyan who started in 1972 in La Trinidad weaving blankets from recycled acrylic yarns and the brand is known worldwide to have led the revival of the Cordillera Ikat, the tradition of designing and dying threads in vibrant colors to suit contemporary taste.
Weaving is an age old craft amongst the tribal peoples of the region as seen in their unique designs, colors and patterns each of the six provinces tribal communities have their own traditional designs.
DTI regional director Myrna Pablo’s long term plans include the set up pasalubong center which will house weaving and carving products of the regions.