The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI), the country’s lead agency on textile research and innovation, welcomed Ms. Celia Elumba as its new Director during the Institute’s year-end general assembly last 9 December. Gracing the turnover ceremony was the officer-in-charge of PTRI from July to November and the Director of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara and previous Director of PTRI for 13 years Dr. Carlos C. Tomboc. She earlier took her oath of office last 4 December at the DOST Central Office administered by DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo and witnessed by the members of the PTRI Executive Committee.
Part of the turnover program was the ceremonial knotting of the abaca fiber where Dir. Elumba joins her end of the abaca fiber to that of previous PTRI Director Carlos C. Tomboc as a symbol of a continued dedication towards serving the industry and the country. An act acknowledged by Dir. Elumba by remarking “I am impressed by the continuity of things… the true mark of progress is if you can continue with what you had in the past, build upon it and have a stronger future. And so, I thank Dr. Tomboc for having established for having developed such a strong commitment from all of you.” She also expressed her gratitude to Dir. Guevara for “having already set the pace and tone.”
Alongside Dir. Guevara, Dr. Tomboc presented Dir. Elumba with a handloom as a symbol of passing on the leadership of the PTRI. “Like a handloom, may you translate yarns of ideas into colorful woven possibilities. By weaving, may you interlace your vision and leadership with the values, resources and aspirations of the Institute,” said Dr. Tomboc as he handed the handloom to Dir. Elumba.
Dir. Elumba brings in decades of extensive experience in the field of apparel and textile industry having worked in companies such as Swire & Maclaine Ltd., R.H, Macy & Co., Liz Claiborne International Ltd., and Igedo Fashions, Inc. She is, in fact, no stranger to PTRI. Prior to joining the Institute she served as Program Manager of the Garments and Textile Industry Development Office (GTIDO) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) where she also worked closely with PTRI in supporting the needs of our local textile and garment industry. Currently, she is in the faculty of the Institute for Integrality and she also held advocacy work for professional and non-government organizations such as the Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines, Alay Buhay Community Development Foundation, Inc. and the Alliance for the Family, Inc.
In a message addressed to the PTRI staff, she reminded them of three very important P’s, first of which is the people. “Projects and all research for that matter are made for the benefit of people by people and essentially we must always look at the things we do as having faces behind them,” she explained. Second is and orientation to process as a way to de-personalize and to stay focused on getting the job done. Lastly, one of the more important things, is the purpose. “Now put together your people, your process, and your purpose and there’s nothing that we cannot do. As long as we are aspiring for the greater good and that greater good is the betterment of our own people, of our own country, of our own Philippines,” she concluded.
“I feel extremely blessed to be in this position with such a committed group of people and I am very excited to see what we can do together,” stated Dir Elumba, the very first woman Director of PTRI. (Joy Camille A. Baldo, S&T MediaService)
