The TELA Pilipinas, wherein TELA stands for Textiles Empowering Lives Anew, is both an advocacy and brand of the DOST-Philippine Textile Research Institute’s initiatives to empower the local textile industry by providing S&T interventions, which are foundations of textile production and innovation.
It is an ecosystem of textile production - from textile fiber processing to yarn spinning to handloom weaving to dyeing and up until product conversion- in the exact location where the natural resources exist and using local skills and talents. TELA Pilipinas connects various stakeholders along the textile supply chain towards the vision of soil-to-skin textile production.
As a realization of its TELA Pilipinas advocacy, the DOST-PTRI leads the establishment of the Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center (RYPIC).
The RYPIC is a microscale yarn spinning facility that aims to produce yarns from blends of natural textile fibers like abaca, banana, and pineapple, combined with cotton at fifty (50) kilograms yarn production capacity per day. It is the Center of natural textile fiber-based yarn innovation in the region where it is established.
The RYPIC aims to jumpstart local ecosystems for the textile sector and caters to the yarns and fabrics requirements of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the fashion industry, academe, and government institutions using local raw materials, skills, and talents.
The first-ever RYPIC is established in Miag ao, Iloilo. It is a fruit of collaboration among the Philippine Textile Research Institute, Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U), Department of Science and Technology Region VI, Local Government Unit of Miagao, and Great Women Philippines Inc.
RYPIC are facilities that address the gap between agricultural inputs and end-users of textile products throughout the country. The project is seen to generate hundreds of jobs and encourage appreciation of local textiles, helping spur the revitalization of the textile industry.
It aims to support the revitalization of the textile industry in Iloilo by providing technical support to local weavers.
The 50 kilograms of yarns per day produced in the facility will translate to 270 meters of handloom woven (40-inch width) fabrics. One RYPIC may produce 13,200 kilograms of yarns per year, which the weavers can use to create 36,000 meters of 60" width fabrics for 24,000 pieces of a female blouse or 18,000 pieces office Barongs all made using NTFs. This is a concrete step in enabling the requirements of Republic Act 9242 or the Philippine Tropical Fabric Act on the regional plane.
In the 18th century, with over 60,000 handlooms, Iloilo was known as the Textile Center of the Philippines. Today, Iloilo is known for its colorful Hablon fabrics, which were traditionally woven using abaca, cotton, and silk since the pre-Hispanic period. Hablon originated from the word habol, which means "hand-weaving" in Hiligaynon, Ilonggo.
The municipalities of Miag ao and Oton in the province of Iloilo remain to be the largest hablon/weaving communities that manufacture and sell export-quality products made from this colorful hand-woven textile. Over time, because of the reduced cotton and NTF plantations, the handloom weavers have to resort to mostly polyester as their primary raw material in weaving.
Through the RYPIC, the natural textile fiber-blended yarns are made available to handloom weavers, fashion designers, garment and textile industries in the region. It can put more value on handwoven fabrics produced in the region.
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