DOST seeks to bolster weavers-enterprises partnership

Department of Science and Technology (Photo: Department of Science and Technology VII/Facebook)

MANILA — Improved partnership between weavers and enterprises was essential in creating better textile designs and products, a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) executive said Wednesday.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, DOST-Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) Director Celia Elumba said weavers, especially those in communities, had limited exposures in terms of gathering inspirations for their designs or products.

“Our weavers have the talent. But if you look at (their products), don’t they look all they same?” she said.

Elumba said it was okay for the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) since they’re “spreading” their culture or tradition. But for the others, she emphasized that they needed to recognize that their products had commercial purposes.

“This is why we are thankful to social entrepreneurs who give our weaving communities the opportunities to enhance their talents,” she said.

Elumba said weavers had to know what the market required and what the buyers needed.

“We also need to transform simple products into world class products,” she added.

The DOST executive also said that the PTRI, as a research development institute, was here to promote private sector collaboration to assure business development.

PTRI has launched on Tuesday the Philippine Silk Road Program, which aims to increase collaboration with multi-stakeholders in moriculture and sericulture activities.

“We want to increase the capacity of different sericultures. We want to inspire and encourage the Muslim silk industry, for instance,” said Elumba.

Through the Philippine Silk Road Program, the DOST would provide technological solutions to help address the low production in silk yarn industry.

Among the plans under this program is the creation of two micro scale filature facilities in northern Luzon and Mindanao, and help upgrade the silk yarn manufacturing capability of the lone silk yarn producer in the Visayas region.

Also under this program, new commercial silkworm hybrids would be developed using genome-based approach.