Legarda brings Antique’s famous ‘patadyong’ to the Senate on Int’l Women’s Day

To convey her pride and steadfast support for Antique’s culture and tradition, and in celebration of the International Women’s Day today, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda brings Antique’s very own ‘patadyong’, a versatile textile that has become a huge part of the province’s age-old tradition, culture and heritage, to the Senate.

Dubbed ‘Wear a Patadyong,’ the one-day exhibit, organized by Legarda’s office in partnership with the National Museum-Western Visayas, features patadyong items from Antique MSMEs – from shawls to scarves, handkerchiefs, purses and pouches, face masks and the traditional wraparound skirt.

“Ako po ay nagagalak na ibahagi ang kultura ng aming mahal na probinsya dito sa Senado sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakita ng iba’t ibang produktong gawa sa patadyong. Ang mga ito ay sumasalamin sa sining, kultura at tradisyon ng Antique,” said Legarda, a true-blooded and proud Antiqueña.

Patadyong weaving is part of Antique’s rich culture and tradition, and has been a source of Antiqueños livelihood. Its design may range from the sampaguita trademark called Pinilian, to the balay-balay (nipa hut), kinantong (petals), sungi-sungi (cross), and diamond shapes, placed symmetrically and repeatedly at the center of each panid, known as the solid square-shaped part of the hablon (woven product), using plain white threads or a combination of colored threads depending on the desired color scheme of the weaver.

Legarda frequently wears patadyong garments and accessories as her way of promoting it and to show her love for Filipino culture.

As the author of RA 9501 or the MSME law, she has been providing support to the Bagtason Loom Weavers Association in Antique and other weavers nationwide through various projects such as provision of cotton seeds, planting of Tayum, improvement and creation of weaving centers, trade fairs with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), as well as trainings from the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI).

“Ang mga produktong ito ay gawa ng malilikhain kong kasimanwang manghahabi na mula sa MSME sector sa Antique. Karamihan sa kanila ay mga kababaihan at nais natin silang bigyang-pugay ngayong Araw ng mga Kababaihan sa pagsasagawa ng ganitong exhibit. Ang paghahabi ng patadyong ang kanilang kabuhayan kung kaya’t patuloy ang suportang ibinibigay natin sa industriyang ito,” she said.

“Sa pamamagitan ng exhibit na ito, nawa’y madagdagan ang kamalayan at interes ng ating mga kababayan tungkol sa kulturang Pilipino para sama-sama nating mapangalagaan ang ating kultura at ang mga pamana ng ating mga ninuno,” Legarda concluded. (end)