Legarda to Show Queen Sofia of Spain Phl’s First Permanent Textile Galleries

ON THE OCCASION OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN SOFIA OF SPAIN’S FIVE-DAY VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINES THIS WEEK, SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA WILL TOUR THE QUEEN TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM’S HIBLA NG LAHING FILIPINO: THE ARTISTRY OF PHILIPPINE TEXTILES, THE FIRST PERMANENT TEXTILES GALLERIES IN THE COUNTRY.
“Her Majesty Queen Sofia is a dedicated patroness of the arts and has been our staunch partner in initiatives to celebrate our opulent culture. During her visit, we will show her how the indigenous artistry of Filipinos is told through traditional textiles,” she said.
Legarda, patron of the textile galleries and Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities, will personally tour Queen Sofia in the galleries.
The Senator will brief Queen Sofia on the traditional textiles throughout the country, beginning with the materials and technologies that go into making cloth itself, the use of foot and backstrap looms, the stories behind various textile forms and their role as emblems of identities.
“We are going to showcase the fact that beyond the intricate weaving technique and fine embellishments we find in our traditional garments, we discover cultural expressions that have endured the test of time,” Legarda said.
Moreover, as a special feature for Queen Sofia’s visit, weavers from Ifugao will demonstrate their weaving tradition using a backstrap loom, and perform a Hudhud chant, one of the UNESCO Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Hudhud Chants of Ifugao symbolize special episodes in the life of the Ifugaos such as times of harvest and weeding rice, during funeral wakes, and when they perform bone-washing rituals.
“The Queen’s visit presents an opportunity and privilege for us to share with her various efforts to preserve and promote Filipino culture that take inspiration from her passion to enrich the arts the world over,” Legarda concluded.