IN a quiet community in Guimaras, the steady rhythm of weaving continues long after the sun begins to fade. Hands move carefully through strands of natural fiber, shaping them into bags, baskets and patterns learned not from books, but from mothers and grandmothers, and years of practice.

For the women of the Libon Bag Weavers Association, weaving is more than a livelihood. It is identity and survival woven together strand by strand.

The Libon Weavers have sustained the art of basket weaving using natural materials and traditional techniques
such as panubok and hablon.

Their work reflects not only craftsmanship, but the resilience of a community determined to keep its culture alive amid changing times.

Celebration of culture

What began as a small community effort slowly grew into a stronger collective and later led to the establishment of the Libon Bag Weavers Association, opening opportunities for women in the community to earn income from their craft while carrying forward a weaving practice learned from their mothers.

In January, the Libon Weavers joined Tahum Festival 2026 for the first time as one of more than 75 curated exhibitors from across the country. Held at the Iloilo Convention Center, the festival was organized by Assumption Iloilo Educational Foundation Inc. in collaboration with Assumption Iloilo. Carrying the theme “Echoes of HOPE” (Harnessing Opportunities and Promises Through Education), the event brought together Filipino artisans, designers, visual artists and entrepreneurs in a celebration of culture, craftsmanship and community.

Their participation was also made possible through the support of the Department of Agrarian Reform-Guimaras.

“Napakahalaga para sa amin na makasali sa isang trade fair tulad ng Tahum. Sa unang pagkakataon, naipakita namin sa mas maraming tao ang aming mga produkto at ang kwento ng aming komunidad,” said Cirila Miranda, president of the Libon Weavers and the United Calaya Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association Inc.

Dialogue, collaboration

Miranda highlighted the role Lopez Group Foundation Inc. (LGFI) played in helping the community reach the milestone.

“Malaki ang naitulong sa amin ng LGFI. Hindi lang sila nag-order ng aming mga produkto; binigyan din nila kami ng pagkakataong makilala sa mas malaking merkado sa pamamagitan ng mga trade fair. Dahil doon, mas lumawak ang aming pananaw at nagkaroon kami ng pag-asa na mas mapapalago pa namin ang aming samahan,” she said.

LGFI connected the community with a local designer and markets that could strengthen both creativity and livelihood. Iloilo-based and international lifestyle designer PJ Arañador helped innovate the products while respecting the integrity of traditional weaving techniques.

Through design development, the weavers were able to expand their products without losing the identity of their craft.

In April, the LGFI team visited the weavers in Guimaras to explore ways to further strengthen the community’s craft and expand growth opportunities. Through dialogue and collaboration, LGFI hopes to support improvements in product quality, market visibility and organizational development. The effort reflects a shared commitment to preserve cultural identity while uplifting local livelihoods.

More than an enterprise

What the Libon Weavers carry is more than an enterprise. They are cultural bearers protecting indigenous knowledge and techniques that have survived through generations. In every woven pattern is a story of women teaching daughters, neighbors helping neighbors, and communities holding onto identity despite economic uncertainty.

In many ways, the work of the Libon Weavers mirrors the legacy of giving that has long shaped the Lopez Group’s presence in Western Visayas. LGFI continues to support the weaving community as part of its broader advocacy for inclusive and community-centered development, recognizing that preserving culture is also a way of protecting people’s dignity and future.

Today, the Libon Weavers continue to weave quietly in their community. The women’s work remains slow, careful and deeply personal. But their craft now travels farther than before, reaching trade fairs, new markets and people who see not only handmade products, but the lives and traditions woven into them.

Libon Weavers president Cirila Miranda (3rd from left) with (l-r) Shirley
Ganea, designer PJ Arañador and Marivic Gebonga during the Tahum
Festival 2026 in Iloilo City earlier this year

By Hajj De Jesus