Facility set up to revitalize local natural dye industry

BANGA, Aklan – A common service facility (CSF) has been set up here to help revive the natural dye industry, particularly that in this province.

The CSF was installed at the Aklan State University (ASU) in this town under the government’s Natural Dye Research and Development Program (NDRDP).

The program aims to develop propagation and production technologies of identifying dye-yielding plants to provide raw materials in support of the CSF for Aklan’s natural dye industry.

Involved in the program are Department of Science and Technology (DOST) agencies such as the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources and Development (PCARRD), Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD), and Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI).

The Aklan Weavers’ Association, farmers’ cooperatives, and the private sector will also be involved in the implementation of the program.

The NDRDP has two components: production and utilization.

ASU, headed by Dr. Benny Palma (president), will implement the production component which will be coordinated by PCARRD under executive director Patricio Faylon. PTRI, headed by director executive director Graciano Yumul Jr., will monitor and coordinate the utilization aspect.

Aklan has been chosen as the program site because it is acknowledged as the country’s handweaving center for pineapple, silk, and abaca fibers. Loom-woven products in the province, especially the plain (woven) cloths, are sold to embroiders and exporters in Laguna and Batangas where they are machined and hand-embroidered.

Piña and piña seda cloths from Aklan have penetrated foreign markets such as the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan, and Hong Kong.

"The revival of the natural dye industry has become evident in recent fashion trends both in the local and international scenarios," noted Leila America of Los Baños-based PCARRD. "World-class fashion designers of the country have explored the use of natural dyes in their creations and the prospects for expert and significantly growing."

Natural dyes are environment-friendly, less toxic, less pollutant, and less hazardous to health.