For the 13th edition of its annual Likhang HABI Market Fair (slated October 13 – 15 at the Glorietta and Palm Drive Activity Center), members of HABI: The Philippine Textile Council chose a catchy theme that reflects the deepening and ever-expanding digital world we now live in – “Web of Woven Wonders.” Although it builds on and pays homage, if you will, to the World Wide Web, a ubiquitous and vital information system that now dominates our lives, the fair’s theme is also emblematic of the growing interconnectedness of people, places and things, “the way textiles tie and bind us to each other,” said Adelaida Lim, former president of HABI.
“The country’s traditional textiles and the innovative weaves various groups of Filipinos have come up with are truly wonderful,” Lim added. “The diversity and beauty of finished products, and the consummate skill it took to make them are something we can all be proud of!”
Designer and longtime HABI supporter Len Cabili, the woman behind Filip+Inna and one of the country’s leading advocates of traditional textiles, said: “HABI has made great strides in pushing weaving into the forefront of Philippine culture. These textiles are an expression of our culture. Thanks to the council’s efforts, more people now have a better understanding of the true value of handcrafted textiles and the unique processes they go through.”
More vendors
A year after its first in-person market fair, which temporarily shifted online in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, this year’s number of vendors is 72. Representing various regional and ethnic groups from all over the country, they will be presenting all under one roof a wide range of hand-woven products – from textiles to ready-to-wear clothes, bags and shoes, home accessories to furniture pieces – made of such materials as piña, abaca, and cotton, among others.
To accommodate the increase in the number of participants, the fair will also be occupying a bigger space this year, from the Glorietta Activity Center all the way up to the area fronting Palm Drive, said Mia Villanueva, current president of HABI.
Two competitions
And in keeping with its principal mandate to promote hand-weaving and invariably products resulting from such endeavors as well as uplift the livelihoods of the country’s traditional weavers, the council is also holding several events during the three-day fair, chief among them two competitions: the 6th annual Lourdes Montinola Piña Weaving Competition and the 2nd Eloisa Hizon Gomez Abaca Weaving Competition.
Piña Futures Book
Its fourth and latest book, “Piña Futures: Weaving Memories and Innovations” written by Panay native Dr. Randy M. Madrid, is edited by seasoned writer, cultural advocate and longtime HABI supporter Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, who shared a number of points related to the book “that feed or weave into the fair itself.”
The 13h Likhang Habi Market Fair is supported by the generous contributions of the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Marubeni Philippines Corporation, Glorietta Mall Ayala Center, UnionBank of the Philippines, Holiday Inn & Suites Makati, S&R, Emerging Power Inc., AY Foundation, Asia Brewery, and media partners DZRH and RPN DYKB-Bacolod. For more information about the Likhang Habi Market Fair, visit the HABI: Philippine Textile Council website: www.habiphilippinetextilecouncil.com or their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram: @HABICouncil.
0 Comments