Calling all piña fabric artisans! The stage is set for them once again to showcase their unique talents in the art of weaving, dyeing, embroidering, and embellishing piña as the Lourdes Montinola Weaving Competition launches its 5th edition and welcomes new entries from all over the Philippines. The country’s premier piña weaving contest is back and will be one of the highlighted activities during HABI Philippine Textile Council’s Likhang Habi Market Fair slated October 14-16, 2022. The annual competition seeks to encourage piña weavers to keep to their traditional craft, continue creativity in weaving, and innovate their piña weaving techniques.
“We see weavers coming up with both traditional and innovative techniques, [and these] play a role in strengthening awareness and patronage of piña,” says Lourdes Montinola, founder of the competition, chair emeritus of the Far Eastern University, and author of “Piña,” the 1991 book about the Philippine pineapple textile.
To join, participants must submit a panel that’s at least two meters long. More than 50 percent of the body of the cloth must be made of piña, and must come with a detailed description and a photograph showing the weaver working on his/her entry. Entries must be submitted to the HABI Office, 962 May Street, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila. Deadline for submission is on Sept. 30, 2022.
As with last year’s competition, the 5th Lourdes Montinola Piña Weaving Competition will give out three major cash prizes: P50,000 for the first-place winner; P30,000 for second; and P20,000 for third.
Major winners from last year’s competition were Jannalyn Rasonable of Elizabeth Rasonable Piña Weaving, who bagged third place with her piña with polyester embroidery titled “Jannalyn”; Perlie Feleciano of La Herminia Piña Weaving, whose “PS Diamond” featuring fine details of the sinuksuk and tablero rengge techniques earned her second place; and first-placer Raquel Eliserio, whose “Sintas” showcased a new method of embellishment of the same name, combined with sinuksuk, in-stripe, and rengge techniques on a mixture of piña, cotton, rayon, and silk.
Two special awards, the Philippine Innovation Award for Textile Innovation and Nadres Award for Outstanding Young Weaver will also be given out, respectively, by Filip + Inna (a fashion brand championed by Len Cabili) and the Nadres family, whose business, for generations, has been the creation of some of the best barong products in the Philippines.
Last year, out of the 42 entries which were displayed at the Silverlens Gallery, these two special awards were given, respectively, to 25-year-old Carlo Eliserio from Aklan for his unique ability to combine different fibers such as piña, cotton, polyester, and silk in his piece titled “Iñigo”; and to 13-year-old Delara Beltran, who used a handloom to create her piece titled “Sampaguita” showcasing the traditional sinuksuk design.
“The surprising thing about the contest is that every year, better and more exquisite pieces are entered. With the Young Weaver Award, it became evident that young people are into practicing the craft, thus ensuring a resurgence and continuity,” says Habi President Adelaida Lim.
Through this competition, Gino Gonzales, co-author of the fashion history book, “Fashionable Filipinas” and one of last year’s judges, says the country is “reminded of the many possibilities of piña and its design process.”
He adds, “I am reminded of the fact that there are other points of view on what we can wear. They’re not just art forms; they’re things that you want to put on your body.”
Interested parties may call HABI: The Philippine Textile Council T: +63 921 849-6974 or send an e-mail to support@habiphilippinetextilecouncil.com for more information.
