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Cordillera loom weavers struggle to survive

BAGUIO CITY (Mar. 17) – The Cordillera Region is known for its loom weaving which is an indigenous craft traditionally done by women. Loom weaving is an important source of livelihood among women to help supplement their daily needs and to respond to the demand of the tourist market in the province of Benguet and Baguio city.

Weave designs representing the different tribes in the Cordillera are found in g-strings, the tapis or wrap around skirts, and the vest. Other products in loom weaving are blankets, tapestries, table runners and others with indigenous motif and designs.

According to Mrs. Juliet Anselmo, 29, of Quirino Hill, Baguio City, a weaver and supplier, weaving in Baguio City is at a slowdown due to an increase of emerging suppliers on one hand, and the latest meninggococcemia scare on the other.

“Many local and international tourists decided not come to our city while others returned home before the Panagbenga festivities to avoid the disease. Many of us are dismayed because our products are not being sold even when we lowered the prices to almost 30%.”

From 1996 to 2002, a supplier could gain as much as P15,000 to P20,000 a month until this decreased to P1,500 to P2,500 a month this recent year.

“Uray nakapsot ti lako ket maanosan ta isu pay ti sagbabassit nga maganansya ta dakkel latta met ti maitulong na iti kasapulan ti pamilya,” (We are patient even with a sales slowdown since the minimal income goes a long way to augment the family’s needs) she added.

She said that while weavers are paid per piece and depending on the size, they are also paid on a weekly basis. The small size wall decor and place mats are P15 each and a weaver can finish 36 pieces weekly; medium size is P75 each and a weaver can finish 18 pieces weekly, while a weaver can finish six large pieces for a price of P140 each per week.

Mrs.Anselmo also claims that they prefer loom weaving because there are no other jobs that the government provides. “We also want to prove that women are part of the large labor force that contributes to our economy. We also form organizations and cooperatives to help provide less expensive materials and to fight the continuing exploitation of women,” she added.

Nordis interviewed Mrs. Julie Ayeo-eo, 32, of Km.3, La Trinidad, Benguet, a supplier and former weaver of Narda’s from 1988 to 1994 and presently a member of Dang-as, an organization of women weavers in Baguio City. Ayeo-eo said that the weavers in a private company or in big businesses are being exploited. “You have to work from seven am to six pm with a corresponding pay of P79 per day. But wages are delayed and they are very strict about finishing the quota within the day or else you are given warning. Also, some businesses and companies also are not paying their workers benefits like Social Security System (SSS), Medicare and others.

Usually, big businesses and companies have many outlets in the provinces and big cities like Manila and Davao. They also export their products to other countries, but why are they giving low wages to their employees who make them rich?” she said.

Mrs. Ayeo-eo also compared this to a small business saying that, “Weavers of an organization are in better condition because they can go to work late and are not required quota. Sometimes however, the wages are dependent on the orders and on what they have finished. They also receive much higher wages than weavers in big businesses. What is important is that no one controls you.” Weavers are usually found in urban poor communities where migrants from other provinces in the Cordillera have settled like Holy Ghost extension, San Carlos Heights, San Vicente, Pinsao, and Quirino Hill in Baguio City. In La Trinidad Benguet, they are found in Balili, Betag, Lubas, Puguis, Pico, and Bayabas.

Weavers’ health conditions

Weavers usually get sick of colds, cough, headache, body pains and urinary tract infection, due perhaps to dusts in the threads they inhale and the limited time of rest. Others use masks while others do not.

The weavers of Baguio and Benguet urge the government to help them look for outlets outside the province so they can compete with big establishments. They believe that the quality of their products is competitive and the indigenous products of the Cordillera especially the small businesses must be promoted.# Johnny Fialen for Northern Dispatch

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