Legarda Announces Opening of Hibla Travelling Exhibition in San Francisco, California

Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda today proudly announced the opening of the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition in San Francisco, California.

Titled “Piña-Seda: Pineapple and Silk Cloths from the Tropics,” the exhibition highlights piña-seda woven fabrics from the Philippines, including those handwoven by Anna India Dela Cruz and Nelia Rogano from Kalibo, Aklan and those embroidered by Salvador and Angela Yasoña from Lumban, Laguna.

“Traditional textiles are ties that bind. It links the past to the present and brings together cultures, which, no matter how diverse, has a commonality,” said Legarda.

“There is so much to show the world about the indigenous artistry of Filipinos through traditional textiles and I have proven this with the numerous visits I had to various weaving communities around the Philippines. Their diligence, creativity, and passion are truly remarkable,” she added.

There will be lectures, weaving demonstrations, and embroidery workshops on August 6, 8, and 9 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Philippine Center, while guided tours will be available throughout the week. There will also be a round of lectures and embroidery workshops at the Naturalist Center, California Academy of Sciences on August 7, 2019, from 11 AM to 5 PM.

The Hibla Travelling Exhbition in San Francisco will run from August 6 to August 30, 2019 at the Kalayaan Hall, Philippine Center Building, 447 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California. San Francisco, California serves as the Hibla Travelling Exhibition’s fourth US state destination following its successful 2018 tour in Washington D.C., New York, and Hawaii.

About Hibla Textile Gallery

The Hibla ng Lahing Filipino: The Artistry of Philippine Textiles at the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila is the country’s first permanent textile gallery. It is a project spearheaded by Congresswoman Loren Legarda.

During the soft opening of the gallery in March 2012, the National Museum also launched the Senator Loren Legarda Lecture Series on Philippine Traditional Textiles and Indigenous Knowledge, which explores the aesthetics, material culture and processes of ethnic identity along with skills and information-generation through fabric. It later evolved into interactive lectures and demonstrations featuring weavers and embroiderers from different parts of the country.

In July 2017, the National Museum launched the first Hibla regional gallery, the Abel Iloko at the Ilocos Regional Museum and Satellite Office in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, which was also supported by Legarda. In December 2018, the National Museum also launched the Habol Panay: the Woven Artistry of Western Visayas, a permanent textile gallery in the Visayas.

In October 2017, the first Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition was held at the Philippine Embassy in London.

“We will have more Hibla travelling exhibitions and many more Hibla regional galleries will soon rise in our country, and we hope that someday we will have not only galleries, but one whole Hibla Museum. Through these we hope to promote greater support for cultural enterprises and creative industries of our indigenous peoples and deeper appreciation of our heritage,” said Legarda.***