Buntal hat weaving, using buntal leaves, was not just an art form but also a cottage industry in Baliuag, Bulacan, in the early 1900s.

Every household became a production center as housewives contributed their skills and time to making buntal hats. The weavers specialized in different parts of the hat, and the assembly was a collective process.

Buntal hat-making is now a dying tradition. Most of the weavers are elderly. Unfortunately, the tedious process required to create buntal hats does not appeal to the young. There is demand for the hats, but sadly, not enough people with the skill and interest to produce them.

Project Larawan. Profiles of the Filipino. One Portrait at a Time.