Every handwoven Philippine textile tells a story. HABI: The Philippine Textile Council wants to make sure buyers know the difference between an authentic heirloom and an imitation dressed up in tradition.
The organization is pushing for stronger consumer safeguards, fresh investments and broader support for artisan communities to help secure the future of one of the country’s oldest creative industries, which continues to grapple with limited raw materials, shrinking production and misleading product labels.
At the top of HABI’s agenda is a national certification or labeling system that would distinguish genuine Philippine handwoven textiles from products inaccurately marketed as “piña” or “handwoven.”
“We believe such a system will provide consumers with greater transparency while safeguarding the integrity and heritage of Philippine handwoven textiles,” HABI President Emeritus Adelaida Lim said.
HABI is taking the first step itself. Exhibitors at this year’s 16th Likhang HABI Market Fair will be required to disclose the fiber composition and origin of every textile they sell. HABI President Mia Villanueva said the policy promotes transparency, accountability and consumer confidence while reinforcing the value of authentic craftsmanship.
Beyond labels, however, the industry’s biggest challenge lies deeper in the supply chain.
Lim said the shortage of natural fibers such as piña, abaca and locally grown cotton has forced many weavers to rely on lower-cost polycotton blends that cannot match the quality, heritage or market value of natural fibers. She urged both government and private investors to back small-scale technologies that can raise productivity, improve artisan incomes and strengthen local textile production. HABI also sees untapped opportunities in developing other indigenous natural fibers for commercial weaving.
Equally important is cultivating the next generation of weavers and textile advocates. Through the annual Likhang HABI Market Fair, the Kuwentong Kultura lecture series, and its prestigious piña and abaca weaving competitions, HABI is connecting master artisans with designers, entrepreneurs and students, proving that tradition thrives when innovation joins the loom.
HABI is now accepting vendor applications for the 16th Likhang HABI Market Fair, scheduled on Oct. 9 to 11 at SPACE One Ayala in Makati City, where heritage and enterprise will once again be woven together.
