Ian Paolo Villacencio

In a town in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, the ‘Samahan ng mga Kababaihang Buhid Para Sa Gawaing Kamay,’ an Indigenous women’s group, is using innovative strategies and technology in order to preserve weaving traditions to a generation which was raised on phones and social media.


Led by community leader Rosita Montajes, the group faced a growing concern as their children were losing interest in the labor-intensive craft of weaving abol (shawls) and ramit (skirts), which can take up to a month to complete using traditional methods. 

“We are worried that our traditions will vanish once we, the elders, are gone,” Montajes said.

With an aim to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, the group partnered with the local government and the Department of Science and Technology-Mimaropa (DOST-Mimaropa).

DOST provided Php 32 million in support, including five advanced handlooms developed by the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI). These machines reduced production time, sparking renewed interest among the youth communities.

The group also conducts weaving workshops for high school students, transforming the tradition who's facing a potential generational collapse into a source of livelihood and cultural treasure.

With an average monthly income now reaching Php 40,000, Montajes sees a future where culture and commerce go hand in hand.

Meanwhile, on May 26, the DOST-PTRI launched Pangasinan’s first handloom weaving innovation hub in Barangay Laoag, Aguilar — one of 34 weaving hubs being developed nationwide. 

With state-of-the-art machines and training programs, the initiative aims to turn time-honored weaving into a sustainable industry while ensuring that the threads of tradition remain unbroken.

Across the country, communities like San Jose are proving that tradition doesn't have to compete with technology, instead befriended with it.

What was once at risk of fading is now thriving, thus proving that innovation can be a powerful tangibles in keeping history alive.