Miag-ao boosts hablon industry

8/04/2015 Randomly Candid 0 Comments

INTRICATE AND TEDIOUS. A hablon weaver in Barangay Indag-an, Miag-ao  patiently weaves hablon cloth for a living. She said that it takes about two weeks for her to finish a roll of hablon cloth.

ILOILO City – The local government of Miag-ao is intensifying its efforts to promote its traditional hand-woven cloth called hablon to local and international markets.
According to Mayor Macario Napulan, a plan of establishing the Miag-ao Weaving Center is now on their list of projects for 2016.

The proposed edifice will be a one-stop shop for the hablon and other native products of Miag-ao where tourists and visitors can drop by, said Napulan.

Miag-ao Mayor Macario Napulan

He added that it will house a facility where the weavers can make hablon and a museum where they can exhibit their finished products.

Napulan noted that the local government already allocated P3 million initial budget for the project which is expected to commence next year.

The project will be located in Barangay Indag-an, where most of the weavers are currently located.
Aside from the Miag-ao Weaving Center, Napulan also hopes that the legislative body of Miag-ao will sponsor an ordinance to require employees of tourism establishments to wear uniforms made of hablon.

“We also hope that the provincial government will also consider it,” he added.

The local government also passed a resolution to include a weaving course in the curriculum of Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U) Miag-ao Campus to preserve the tradition among the younger generation.

The town will also host a two-night dinner for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) delegates in September.

Striking a pose at the main entrance of Miag-ao's Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish, one of the UNESCO Hetitage Sites.

He said they are now preparing the weavers to exhibit the best hablon in the APEC meeting.
To further promote hablon as a proud product of Miag-ao, the municipality will hold its 2nd Hablon Festival on Sept. 3-6.

The festival’s highlight will be “Little Miss Hablon”, a beauty contest wherein kids will showcase their garments made of the weaved cloth.

Other activities are the Agro-Trade Fair, logo-making contest, float parade and hablon making contest, among others.
The festival bears the theme “Hablon nga Madinu-agon, Bugal sang Miag-aoanon.”

Hablon came from the word “habol”, a local term for hand weaving. It is known for its artistic color combination, design and high quality.

The tradition of hablon weaving in Miag-ao can be traced back since the late 18th century. (As published in Panay News)