Senator Legarda, National Museum organize basket weaving demos in Manila

EVERY Filipino interested in the country’s cultural heritage was invited by Sen. Loren Legarda to view and observe basket and mat weavers from Oriental Mindoro as they showcase their weaving techniques at the National Museum of Anthropology on July 18 and 19.

Weavers Thalia Daguman, Susana Maayos and Debora Aceveda, all from Oriental Mindoro, will demonstrate rattan and nito weaving, while Elsie Caring will give an informal lecture.

“This is an interactive way of understanding our weaving culture. We get to know more about various mat and basket-weaving techniques, and this is also a way of supporting the livelihood of our local weavers,” Legarda said.

The weaving demonstrations can be viewed from 11 a.m. to 12 nn and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Reception Room, fourth floor, National Museum of Anthropology (formerly Museum of the Filipino People), Old Finance Building in Rizal Park, Manila.

The National Museum of the Philippines, in partnership with Legarda, organized the 2015 Weaving Demonstrations.

Last week weavers from Marinduque showcased their buntal and nito weaving techniques. In the succeeding weekends, mat and basket weavers from Romblon (July 25 and 26) and Palawan (August 1 and 2) will be the featured weaving demonstrators.

Legarda also encouraged visitors of the museum to go to the various galleries—the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino textile gallery, Baybayin gallery, and the Rice, Biodiversity and Climate Change exhibit—all of which were joint projects of Legarda and the National Museum.

In 2014 textile weavers from the Cordillera region, Panay Island and Mindanao showcased their weaving traditions at the National Museum as part of the Senator Loren Legarda Lecture Series on Philippine Traditional Textiles and Indigenous Knowledge organized by the senator and the National Museum since 2012.

Source: Business Mirror