Piña to the world

La Herminia Weaving was the result of a lay-off. After losing his job at the Department of Public Works and Highways, Alan Tumbokon teamed up with his mother, a skilled weaver, to put up a piña cloth production business in Old Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan.

"Within a year of business, the number of weavers had increased from one to 10 but we were still doing it the traditional way, which was a long and tedious process," said Tumbokon. "We wove the piña cloth and then sent these to Lumban, Laguna, for the designs to be embroidered. Because supply exceeded demand, our pricing for our piña cloth was low."

Machines

La Herminia’s business started bringing in the cash when it began using modern equipment such as the multi-harness looms with black pipe capable of weaving fabrics of up to 60 inches in width and a warping machine with a capacity of 100 meters developed by the Philippine Textile Research Institute.

"Our break came when the company was included in the Department of Trade and Industry-Canada International Development Agency’s Linkages for Enterprise Development and Advancement Program. I was able to go on a one-month study grant to Canada and inspect all the modern weaving machines available," said Tumbokon.

As a result of these machines, the company’s initial production of 30 yards per month increased to 80 to 100 pieces of barong and 1,000 yards of plain piña cloth.

Today, the company has 130 weavers and 400 indirect workers such as fiber extractors and knotters. From the production of piña cloth, the company has expanded into piña woven shawls and clothes which are sold directly to fashion designers here and abroad.

"During last year’s Manila FAME trade fair, a French buyer became fascinated by our 60-inch piña silk, visited our factory, and ordered 2,000 meters. We had to acquire 20 additional units of 60-inch wide looms, set up satellite weaving centers in the nearby towns of Balete and Tangalan, and hired 30 additional weavers and one sewer to meet that order," said Tumbokon. –SLara