GOVPH

The women of Bani Hamida are known as Jordan’s traditionally skilled weavers. In 1998, they joined the Jordan River Foundation to revitalize traditional weaving practices, using handmade ground looms to create rugs and other textile products.

Basey, Samar, is home to one of the Philippines’ iconic woven products like Bayong. It is traditional hand-woven bags and mats. For generations, the women of Basey have passionately practiced this craft, weaving mats in caves using traditional techniques and products. They use Tikog, a reed grass that grows in swampy areas along rice fields.

DOST-PTRI and DFA-OCD formalized collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to advance Cultural Diplomacy.

The growing popularity of traditional handloom-woven textiles has placed Filipino weavers at a critical crossroads. Their designs, heritage, and livelihoods are increasingly threatened not only by printed and machine-made replicas but also by unfair market access, lack of intellectual property protection, and limited recognition of their rights as artists, cultural bearers, and workers. While counterfeit fabrics dilute authenticity and deceive consumers, deeper challenges persist. Weavers struggle to reach inclusive markets, secure fair compensation, and pass down their craft to future generations. These shared concerns have prompted weaving communities across the country to unite and assert their rights to livelihood, cultural identity, and a rightful place in the nation’s textile value chain.