Bukidnon ethnic group opens abaca weaving facility

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — Tribal leaders and elders of the Bukidnon-Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain (AD) vowed to keep their traditions alive and pass them to the next generation.

They made the pledge as they celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) Month on Saturday, gathering to offer rituals and officially launch their new weaving hub, the “Balay Hu Paglala Ha Abaca” (House of Abaca Weaving).

Bae Inatlawan Adelina Tarino, leader of the Bukidnon-Daraghuyan AD, highlighted the annual ritual’s significance in honoring nature spirits and elements essential to the tribe’s life and traditional livelihoods, underscoring their deep-seated reverence for nature and protection of ancestral lands.

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READ: Competition revives interest in abaca weaves

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Maybank Foundation and ANTHILL Fabric Gallery, in partnership with the Bukidnon-Daraghuyan tribe, launched the newly inaugurated facility jointly.

Operating under a “farm-to-fabric” sustainable model, the center aims to preserve ancestral weaving techniques while establishing sustainable economic opportunities for local artisans.

The program equips tribal women and youth with weaving looms, natural dyeing workshops, and financial literacy training, connecting handwoven textiles directly to ethical markets.

To bolster the initiative, the Provincial Government of Bukidnon extended multi-faceted support to the ancestral domain.

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The province helped plant endemic trees, supported sending an abaca weaving trainer to Cambodia for specialized skills training, and announced an upcoming agroforestry modeling program under its priority environmental protection, adaptation, and resiliency agenda.

The center will serve as an active space for cultural knowledge transfer between tribal elders and younger generations, securing both the community’s cultural heritage and sustainable future./coa