About Buhi

The town of Buhi in Camarines Sur is renowned for its lake, its rare sinirapan fish in the lake, and its sustainable weaving tradition. The lake lies in the valley of two ancient volcanoes, Mount Iriga (also known as Mount Asog) and Mount Malinao. The geological formation occurred when an earthquake in 1641 caused a side of Mount Asog to collapse. This resulted in a massive landslide that created a natural dam from the contained flow of nearby streams. Lake Buhi (area of 18 square kilometers and average depth of 8 meters) is one of the few bodies of water that contains the sinarapan, the world’s smallest commercially harvested fish. (Reference: World Lakes Database, ILEC)

The town, a first-class municipality, has a population of 81,306 (2020 census), 2/3 of which rely on agriculture. Rice is grown in the vast fields of its road sector. Corn and abaca abound on the lands in its mountain sector. Buhinon, which is classified as a lone Bikol language, is spoken by townsfolk who live around the lake. Rinconada Bikol is the first language spoken, particularly in the eastern areas near Iriga City. (Reference: buhi.gov)

A Brief History of Weaving in Buhi

The weaving heritage in Buhi dates back several centuries, with techniques and patterns passed down through generations. Abaca was used by the weavers as their primary raw material, along with other locally sourced natural fibers. Initially, the weaving of hinabol fabric was a domestic craft, primarily for creating the traditional baro’t saya, kamisa, blankets, towels, pillowcases, table runners, placemats, bags, coin purses, mosquito nets, and common household textiles. Familiar weave designs in traditional Buhi fabrics were called binitinan (floral) and tablero (square or checkerboard pattern). Over time, the weaving industry developed into a significant aspect of the local economy and society.

According to the DTI in the 70’s as consumer preferences shifted, the local weavers began the use of cotton thread from upcycled jeans, collars, and cuffs sourced from factories in Manila. With the popularity of shopping malls and competition from ukay–ukay stores, demand for Buhi hablon, however, waned in the early ‘90s. While traditional handloom weaving became extinct in many parts of the country, the Buhinon weavers soldiered on. In livelihood surveys conducted by the DTI, they expressed their determination to continue saying their lives will not be complete without weaving.

Upcycling and Sustainability Practices

In an article by Zarena Hermogeno, “How upcycling sustains a small town’s textile tradition” written for Climate Tracker Asia (May 17, 2024), she noted that little was known about how exactly the use of upcycled cotton started among the Buhi weavers. She spoke with Luzvemenda Sabinorio, a member of BOKPA (Buhi OTOP Key Players Association), who said that the use of upcycled cotton collar threads as hinabol raw materials was initiated by Soccoro Atutubo, a founding member. She recalled Atutubo trying to crochet a cotton thread from the collar of a used shirt. She said Atutubo deserved credit for discovering that this thread could be used as a warp or tindig, a basic component used in weaving that combines the threads into a flowing fabric. Since this discovery five decades ago, more than 200 weavers across Buhi now use upcycled jeans, collars, and cuffs from Divisoria in Manila and Caloocan City as raw materials for the hinabol fabric.

According to Jonathan Paniterce, owner of Hataw Handwoven Products, one of the leading businesses in Buhi, these upcycled threads make the hinabol fabric of better quality. He added, “Hinabol fabric made from upcycled threads are cheaper compared to the cotton threads in cones. The colors are more vibrant and durable because of their consistent quality.”

Successful social entrepreneur Bernadette “BidiBidi” de los Santos of Baao combines the hand-woven fabrics from upcycled waste threads by the rural women of Buhi with the hand-embroidery by the rural women of Baao into the colorful product ideas of #BidiBidi, her brand of bags, art and décor. She calls her fabrics #BUHImian Weaves, “These fabrics undergo a tedious, time-consuming and labor-intensive process of unfurling discarded shirt collars, winding the threads to makeshift bamboo bobbins before building on the warps and wefts in the handloom.”

BidiBidi is effusive when she expounds on the merits of the fabric from Buhi, “First, upcycled means environment friendly and sustainable. Second, labor-intensive means more food on the table, more mouths are fed. Third, one-of-a-kind patterns and color combinations make my products unique and authentic.” Her products are branded #CarasYLagos, named after the art and the place in Bicol where the inspiration for this design comes from. The fabrics #BUHImianWeaves are handwoven by communities of Buhi, Camarines Sur, where Lake (Lagos) Buhi.  The #Caras are hand-embroidered by the #BidiBidiWomen of Baao, Camarines Sur, hometown of #BidiBidi.

Modern-day Entrepreneurs in Buhi Weaving

Today, the weaving industry in Buhi is thriving, thanks to the efforts of passionate entrepreneurs who have dedicated themselves to preserving and promoting this traditional craft. Notable among them, in addition to Bernadette de los Santos/ BidiBidi of Baao, are Jonathan and Lanie Paniterce of Hataw Handwoven Products, Mercy Nueva Ibarlin of Buhinon Woven Products, Clarita Noble of Nakabuhi Native Products, and Chris Olimpo of OLI (Our Little Ideas) in Taguig, Metro Manila.

Grassroots and Government Support

The Buhi weavers were among the clusters in the wearables and homestyle sector being assisted by the Department of Industry (DTI) in Camarines Sur. The support became more concrete and focused when Buhi chose woven products as their OTOP, meaning One Town One Product. The active weavers of the group were organized, now named Buhi OTOP Key Players Association (BOKPA).  Since then, the group was provided with an outpouring of assistance from the DTI.

The concept of OTOP originated from Japan’s One Village, One Product. This grassroots initiative had been in existence since 2002. Beginning in 2003, OTOP became the stimulus and intervention program of the Philippine government to drive economic growth in the MSME (micro, small and medium scale enterprises) sector. As defined by the DTI, the program enables localities and communities to determine, develop, support, and promote products or services that are rooted in their local culture, community resource, creativity, connection, and competitive advantage. (Reference: https://www.dti.gov.ph/negosyo/otop-ph/)

In 2013, BOKPA was among the first to be identified and qualified as beneficiary of DTI’s Shared Service Facility program. As a significant growth engine of the Philippine economy, MSMEs were identified for support in terms of machinery, equipment, tools, systems, and accessories, under a shared system. With the support of the Caceres Social Action Foundation, a church-based organization, the Buhi weavers became the happy, grateful and appreciative recipients of 40 handlooms and 6 sewing machines, which they need to ramp up production.

Since the SSF award, the weavers in Buhi have maximized the use of handlooms.  DTI – Camarines Sur proudly reports, “Every time DTI visits, all handlooms have work in progress and spindles are always busy spinning. Since it is home-based, all household members are working together to produce hinabol fabric which they converted to products other than blankets.” They were able to produce a variety of products through the help of DTI’s series of product development seminars.  They were able to attend trade fairs in the region and NCR. Key figures in the Buhi weavers’ community are Clarita Noble, BOKPA President, Mercy Nueva Ibarlin, BOKPA Business Manager, and Kathrene Sabilala, Buhi OTOP Coordinator.

In 2017, mandated to organize community development programs in its power transmission beneficiary host communities, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) collaborated with the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) of the Department of Science and Technology to provide capacity building training seminars to the Buhi OTOP Key Players Association (BOKPA) Weavers beginning in August of that year. The PTRI-DOST officials noted that the attendees from BOKPA demonstrated a high level of learning acquisition, and their designs were noticeably remarkable as seen in their color combination and polished weaves – adding that the Buhinon weaves were highly competitive and market ready. (Reference: DOST)

With assistance from the NGCP and PTRI-DOST, 68 weavers from BOKPA graduated from the program dubbed Project BARO in 2019. The weavers went through two years of extensive skills training which honed their capabilities as artisans and entrepreneurs and equipped them with knowledge to make the organization self-sustaining.

Also worth mentioning is the collaboration of Orgullo Kan Bikol (OKB) Association, Inc. with the of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Region 5 and the Department of Tourism (DOT) – Region 5 in the holding of Orgullo Kan Bikol (OKB) and Gayon Bicol Regional Trade and Travel Fairs in the Bikol region and NCR. They have served as platforms on which members of BOKPA can sell and market their products.

In 2022, DTI Camarines Sur and the Buhi weavers stepped up their game by mounting a fashion show titled “Pustoriosa,” a fashion show featuring stylish and innovative wearables. Bicol based couture designers, Rommel Del Valle and Alex Buena of Rommel Del Valle House of Fashion, Bert Salvador of Traje and Kent Fabian of Diseño Fashion House, showcased 27 fashionable gowns and dresses created from the handwoven hinabol fabrics made by the weavers in Buhi. The event was well attended by key players in the industry as well as people from the local government and the national agencies.

Upcycling and Sustainability Practices

Sustainability is a cornerstone of the Buhi weaving industry. Many weavers and entrepreneurs are committed to upcycling textiles and adopting eco-friendly practices. By repurposing waste materials and minimizing environmental impact, the Buhi weavers ar mee setting an example of how traditional industries can embrace sustainability.

This commitment to sustainable practices not only helps protect the environment but also adds value to their products. Consumers increasingly seek out eco-friendly and ethically produced goods, and the Buhi weavers’ focus on sustainability meets this growing demand.

Conclusion

The weavers of Buhi, Camarines Sur, embody a rich tradition of craftsmanship that has been lovingly preserved and innovatively transformed through generations. With the support of dedicated entrepreneurs, social enterprises, and industry associations, Buhi weaving continues to flourish. By embracing sustainability and community collaboration, the weavers of Buhi are ensuring that their craft remains vibrant and relevant in the modern world.

The header collage features (clockwise L-R): evening gown from the Pustoriosa fashion show, towels from OLI, Filipiniana bolero from Hataw Handwoven Products, denim bags from BidiBidi., and throw pillowcases from OLI. This article was written by Jojo De Jesus for Dateline Ibalon based on these references: “How upcycling sustains a small town’s textile tradition” by Zarena Hermogeno, written for Climate Tracker Asia (May 17, 2024); published articles and posts by DTI Camarines Sur, DOST-PTRI, Bicol Mail, website and FB page of Hataw Handwoven Products, FB pages of Bernadette de los Santos/ BidiBidi, and the website of buhi.gov.ph.