A SENATE bill is proposing to develop the handloom weaving industry and make its products more globally competitive.
Senate Bill 241 or the proposed Philippine Handloom Weaving Industry Development Act of 2022 hopes revive the trade and help weavers tap a broader global market.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Lorna Regina B. Legarda filed the bill to support the artisans “who continuously safeguard our country’s rich heritage.”
We must give our weaving industry a fighting chance,” she added. “Our handwoven fabrics deserve recognition.”
The National Handloom Weaving Department Council will be tasked with generating a roadmap for the industry, an intellectual property framework for textiles, and promoting textile-related Technical Skills and Vocational Education and Training.
It will be composed of representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous People, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Garments and Textile Industry Development Office of the Department of Trade and Industry.
“Handloom weaving is one of the most time-honored cottage industries in the Philippines and a resource for rural employment and income,” Ms. Legarda said. “The industry has a considerable role in rural development as well as a great source of cultural pride and national identity.”
If passed into law, P10 million will be appropriated from the national treasury for initial implementation. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan