Diana Katigbak: advocates for the Philippine textile industry

Local textiles have long been a crucial cultural heritage of the Philippines. Over the years and throughout our several provinces, industrious indigenous weavers have genuinely reflected their very own customs and traditions through their time-honored garments and ceremonial textile usage.

Sadly, there is a seeming looming risk of extinction of these revered handed-down through generations such close-to-the-heart practices. It is tragically due to the lack of interested and dedicated young individuals sincerely willing to take up the mantle, over other careers.

The rapid advance of fast fashion, or the mass production of cheap clothing, has likewise become a huge factor in textile waste, water, and microfiber pollution. It adds to more problems such as greenhouse emissions and soil degradation. This increases the ever-so-real threat of traditional textiles just disappearing, even more on a worldwide scale.

Diana Katigbak, MA, the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Textile Design Program Coordinator, meanwhile expressed that textile is a multi-billion-dollar industry. “It continues to be an important contributor in the global economy. Retailers experience growing demand for textile goods due to shifting clamor and are looking for alternative sources to keep up with the supply chain. The move in consumer trends now prioritizes sustainable materials and processes more than ever.”

“The market nowadays is more aware of the impact of textile waste to societies and the climate demands more transparency from the retailers they buy from. For these reasons, there is a thrust for change in business practices and a need for textile material innovation,” she continued.

Being an educator with an advocacy, Katigbak is an independent natural dye artist specializing in Indigo Dyeing. She focuses on women’s wear, while actively collaborating with local and international designers.

Here are some of her thoughts on the future of the fragile industry:

How do textiles impact us in our daily lives?

Textiles are a commodity, which not only concern what we wear, but every aspect of daily living. Textiles are not only in our homes, but in gatherings, medical facilities, and even public spaces. With this in mind, our reliance on imports only harms us in the long run in times where we are not able to be served by suppliers. Boosting our local textile supply chain will enable our society to function when the need arises and lower cost of essential textile goods for the benefit of the Filipinos.

What is the state of the local textile industry?

The Philippines has been a steady contributor of fiber in the supply chain. However, the local textile industry still heavily relies on imports for finished goods. For example, this had a high impact during the past pandemic years.

This has given our government more reason to rebuild a robust local supply chain in order to support our local manufacturing industries. We begin to see more thrusts to promote the use of our goods with the Philippine Tropical Fabric Law, formally known as RA 9242, which mandates the use of our very own tropical fabrics for government uniforms.

In addition, the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, or RA 11904, aims to promote cultural resources and create an industry that supports local creative intellectual properties. Among other areas of concern, the act will include the preservation of our indigenous weaving culture and development of the local textiles industry. These initiatives mandated by our government should bring new demand for design professionals.

Why is it important to introduce the fundamentals to the young artists, as well as elevate the craft? 

Young creatives offer an innovative perspective that can drive textile design and craft into the future. Their unique beliefs and experiences are reflected in their creations, when given an environment that allows them to explore their curiosities. Educating the youth with fundamental scientific knowledge and expanding their awareness of the cultural history and significance of textiles in society will be beneficial in improving the thought processes behind creative outputs on future-proof solutions to the current problems.

What is the role of textile education in the country?

It addresses the need for professionals focused on material development and design to be competitive in the local and foreign industries. Innovation of native natural fibers which are abundant in our country will allow breakthroughs in design that is appropriate for the needs of the Filipino lifestyle. It may be a competitive edge we offer to the world market.

In a cultural sense, we are able to preserve our local weaving culture by training and mentoring new designers on the proper use of indigenous weaves. It addresses the problems about cultural appropriation. We can promote the responsible use of our cultural textiles and continue the tradition.

We heard about De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s pioneering program. Tell us about it.

Benilde’s Textile Design program aims to fill the gap in the industry for professional material specialists who are adaptable to different fields in design. The program equips young creatives with thorough knowledge of textile science and skills, to create and design textiles from raw fiber to finished fabric.

With a multidisciplinary approach, the program encourages experimentation in applying theory into innovative practice to allow innovation and breakthroughs in the creation of textile designs. The program also incorporates intellectual property education and courses on sustainable business methods to empower students and future graduates to confidently build their own enterprises.