Pandan weaving is a centuries-old tradition and livehood for this Laguna town

Posted at 12:33 pm September 08, 2010

Tags: Cottage Industries, Entrepreneurship, Handicrafts

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By KC Santos

LUISIANA, LAGUNA – Pandan weaving is a family tradition and a a celebrated means of livelihood for residents of this town for more than 150 years.

Pandan leaves are used to make hats, mats and baskets or balulang. Such has been the practice among both the young and elderly weavers in this small town in Laguna.

Josie Solomon is one of the many entrepreneurs who seek ways of making income out of the plant abundant in Luisiana. But unlike other business women, how it benefits the stakeholders is a serious matter that she is eager to develop.

“Panahon palang ng nanay at tatay ko sa negosyong ito ay pinapahalagan talaga nila ang serbisyo sa kapwa (Even during my parents’ time, they value service to fellowmen,” recounts Josie, who inherited the sharing nature of her parents.

She acted on the principles of her parents by being partly instrumental to the organization of weavers’ groups in their town in 2002. The unit was solid but it was only until September of 2005 that such groups were registered to their local government as the Luisiana Weaver’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

Josie shares that the cottage industry had always been the primary source of livelihood of residents but adds that before the cooperative was formed, the weavers only made bayong or bags intended for carrying poultry animals. The challenge then was the marketability of their products.

Possessing an idealistic attitude, Josie intervened to help the weavers incorporate stylish designs that add to the products’ utilitarian and native value.

“Depending on their finished work, the weavers earn from P150 to P300. Even their children get P5 when they help make bayongs in their very own homes,” she says.

With the help of her siblings, Josie was able to incorporate sewing alongside weaving to ensure durability of the weavers’ products as pandan leaves can easily wear out if not handled with utmost care.

“When it’s rainy, we would use a drier that most of the time fries, instead of drying the leaves. During cold weather, the production of the plant is lesser. Summer is our best friend when the weather is just right,” she explains.

The cooperative has already developed their own designs by incorporating other materials like leather and paper to the main pandan staple to produce high-end bags that Josie says can pass export standards.

According to the Laguna Travel Guide Site, every month of April, a visitor to Luisiana can expect to see the Pandan Festival which is an annual celebration for the abundance of the pandan crop on the province.

Also in the festival, one can spot stalls selling pandan novelty handicrafts.

The site also advises visitors to locate the One Town One Product (OTOP) Showroom at the town center to see more variations of pandan products.

Josie and the rest of the weavers of their cooperative vowed to take care of the plant that has sustained the lives of the residents of Luisiana. Especially that its benefits resonate to other provinces as well.

“Yung ibang mga probinsya kung saan sagana din sa pandan, humihiling din sila ng training kung paano mag-imbak at mag-disenyo gamit ito. Pruweba na maraming nabubuhay sa halaman na ito (Neary provinces are also requesting us to give training so their residents can also take advantage of the abundance of pandan),” concludes Josie.

For orders and other inquirries, contact Josie Solomon at (049)503-6278 or (0920)226-9631 or (0915)116-8547