UNESCO Officially Declares Aklan Pina Handloom Weaving as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

KALIBO, Aklan—UNESCO has officially declared the pina handloom weaving of Aklan as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The announcement was made during the ongoing Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The said weeklong conference was held from December 4-9, 2023 at Kasane, Republic of Botswana.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs in France has also made a similar announcement on their official Facebook page. UNESCO has made the session on the examinations of nominations for inscriptions on the Lists of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Rhea Rose Meren, the Kalibo tourism officer, said that prior to the declaration, the local government of Kalibo had initially allocated P5 million for the safeguarding of the Kalibo Piña Weaving Industry. The capital town of Aklan is using the red Spanish pineapple variety as a secret ingredient in its fiber industry because of its strong tread.

“With the said declaration, we are lobbying the local government to increase funding next year,” she said.

“After this successful declaration, the local committee involved in the said declaration is also planning to promote Kalibo Ati-atihan as the next to be declared as heritage by UNESCO,” she said.

On December 2, 2023, Paterno Tambong, president of the Fashion and Design Council of Aklan Philippines Incorporated (FDCAPI), said during the Kapehan forum that they were awaiting the UNESCO declaration.

“Already, we are making preparations for the fashion show gala on January 6, 2023, as part of the highlights of the Kalibo Sto. Nino Ati-atihan Festival. The fashion show involves 11 designers and hundreds of collections featuring creations made of red Spanish pineapple, considered the Queen of Fabrics,” he said.

The fashion show on January 6, 2024, involves 98 percent piña fiber, and the remaining comes from other mixes of threads, according to Tambong.

He considered the declaration a note-worthy cause in ensuring the sustainability of the pina weaving.

On November 23–25, the Aklan Fashion Designers Association (AFDA) held a three-day charity show featuring some of the designs from Piña Fibers.

“The charity show is a presentation for the first Aklan Fashion Week. We featured the creations of at least nine female inmates from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP-Kalibo), where we trained them how to sew using the two sewing machines donated by Kalibo mayor Juris Bautista-Sucro,” said Adriano Samar, chairman of AFDA.

All of the female inmates face charges of illegal drug use.

Arnulfo Magcope, president of the Provincial Fisheries and Agriculture Council (PAFC), said prior to the declaration that, since last year, they had already filed a resolution calling for the Fibers Industry Development Authority (FIDA) to transfer its office here in Kalibo. The FIDA’s office is currently located in Iloilo.

“The FIDA could best ensure the sustainability of the Aklan Pina fiber if they have their office here,” said Magcope.

Delano Tefora, former provincial agriculture chief of Aklan, said that he hopes the FIDA could also conduct research on the red pineapple variety through cloning or biotechnology to ensure the sustainability of the supply.

In June this year in Iloilo, DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual expressed support for the sustainability of the pina handloom fiber industry.

“I encouraged stakeholders to study the Piña fiber products to make everyday wearables,” he said.

Anna India Legaspi, also an artist who advocated for the declaration to UNESCO of handloom weaving, said that it took almost a decade of lobbying for the declaration.

“It was a fact in Kalibo that in ancient days, handloom weaving made of pina was the primary livelihood of women, and we want to sustain it,” she said during previous interviews.