Tags: Entrepreneurship, Handicrafts
By Anna Valmero
MALAYBALAY CITY, BUKIDNON—Bags made of handwoven abaca is almost always a commodity during bazaars. When you see the bags from Bukidnon, you will never fail to admire the distinct hinabol weaving that allows different colors to form a monochromatic shading.
“Hinabol weaving is very unique to the Bukidnon tribe. It features ikat color combination which is characterized by the monochromatic shading pattern made from the combination of different colors,” said Tita Perla Rubio, owner and proprietress of Malaybalay’s Choice Crafts.
Tita had no desire in starting a bag business made of local handwoven mats. Initially, a Bukidnon tribe elder sold her one of the uniquely woven hinabol mat in exchange for money to buy rice and food for her family. Over time, the Bukidnon elder became a regular visitor of Rubio and the mats kept piling up in their room.
One day while cleaning the house, she noted that the mats are very unique in design and asked the local Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) office about its potential for product development.
The DTI encouraged her to develop the hinabol mats into high-end fashion accessories such as ladies bags and the ethnic tribe’s kamuyot backpacks.
Since then, she has given jobs to at least one-fifth of the 200 families of the Bukidnon tribe. Owing to the tedious process of weaving the mats, Rubio pays a high premium prompting her suppliers to increase production. Her bags costs P600 and above, depending on the design.
“I want to offer good products but at the same time, I don’t want to keep the margins all to myself. The Bukidnon weavers really work hard for the hinabol mats and so they should be paid right. While my products may be judged as more expensive than those from other provinces, I always tell my client that this is because the weavers are paid high as well.”
For example, weaving a 50-meter long hinabol mat would take about a month because the tribes do this only after their house chores and when the weather is not too hot nor too cold so that the abaca fibers are not too brittle.
For one mat, a Bukidnon weaver receives between P2,000 to P4,500 depending on the color combinations and quality of the weave.
“I hope more Filipinos, not only foreigners, would patronize these works so we will help our fellow weavers keep their tradition and we develop a sense of identity and pride for our own products.”
Get more information about Malaybalay’s Choice Crafts
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