RYPIC - Partners

Department of Science and Technology

I thank the Philippine Textile Research Institute for inviting me today in the Inauguration of the Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center also known as the RYPIC. This innovation facility housed at Iloilo Science and Technology University, Miagao Campus, Miagao Iloilo is the Philippine’s first microscale yarn spinning facility which produces yarns from blends of natural textile fibers such as abaca, pineapple leaf or banana leaf, in combination with Philippine cotton.

The establishment of RYPIC is a DOST-GIA funded project aims to jumpstart local innovation ecosystems for the textile sector and cater the requirements of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), academe and government institutions for yarns and fabrics using local raw materials, skills, and talents.

More than a physical production and innovation facility, the RYPIC is a center of collaboration among multi-sectoral partners in development: with project stakeholders, Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U), Great Women Philippines Corporation (GWPhC), the Local Government Unit of the Municipality of Miag-ao, and DOST Region VI. This collaboration weaves the people, institution and organization together in bridging capacity, capability and supply and value chains of the Philippine textile industry.

I congratulate everyone especially RYPIC’s stakeholders for making this milestone a reality which will serve as an inspiration in building more yarn innovation centers not only here in the Visayas region but across the country.

SECRETARY FORTUNATO T. DE LA PEÑA

Philippine Textile Research Institute

Five years ago, we started to rethink how we, at the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI), could truly be of help to our Philippine textile sector. As the research and development arm of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), our flagship programs were focused on natural textile materials and colorants. But how can we help grow the sector if there are no producers for the many consumers?

How could we enable more supply to address present-day demands and promote more production given the growing opportunities? How could we add more value to what is available and possible? How could we inculcate the need for the science for the craft, the technology for the culture and the innovation for traditions?

The question for us then as it is today had always been: is this right? Is this the right thing to do given our situation at this point in time? Will this be a real response to the question? Did we ask the right question? And in the process, sought out every opportunity to find answers to the question?

Today, it is with pride and excitement that we inaugurate the first response to the question of how the DOST- PTRI finds it can truly be of help to our Philippine sector with the “Establishment of the Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center” or the RYPIC. Connecting the dots of capacity, capability, supply and value chains meant connecting with people, institutions and organizations. More than a physical production and innovation facility, the RYPIC is a center of collaboration among multisectoral partners in development: with the Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U), Great Women Philippines Corporation (GWPhC), the local government unit of the municipality of Miag-ao, and DOST Region VI. We are certain we can grow these collaborations to include other agents of change and we look forward to the many possibilities that the RYPIC will inspire.

The RYPIC is also a center that will bring together our community of weavers and enterprises; a center supporting the cultural traditions in textiles, to catalyze developments born of research in the textile field, and to hopefully nurture textile technologists and raise engineers to grow the fledgling potential into an industry.

Center of production and innovation. Community-weaver. Culture-bearer. Catalyst.

We have high hopes that the RYPIC will be a testament to Gawang Pilipinas. Galíng Pilipinas.

Our many thanks to our partner-stakeholders, and to our Almighty God and Father for His Goodness.

Mabuhi, Mabuhay!

DIRECTOR CELIA B. ELUMBA

Municipality of Miagao

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the stakeholders of DOST-PTRI Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center (RYPIC). You bring us hope and pride, indeed!

It is quite overwhelming to host this inauguration event in my hometown for the beginning of the RYPIC, the first microscale yarn spinning facility which aims to produce crafted yarns made of indigenous or native materials. Through this, we strengthen and develop the hand-loom weaving (Hablon Industry) as Miagao’s cultural and historical heritage.

The Municipality of Miagao is excessively blessed of the DOST’s lead agency for textile research and development program that aims to jumpstart local ecosystems for the textile sector and will cater to the requirements of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the fashion industry, academe and government institutions for yarns and fabrics using local raw materials, skills and talents. Through this, we can help our local dwellers for another source of livelihood and to promote the finished crafted yarn products not only in our locality but also internationally.

As a local chief executive of Miagao, we aim towards advancement by utilizing and exploiting the town’s strong points particularly in agriculture, fishery and tourism. Miagao is rich in diverse resources for farming and fishing which will be our frontier for economic strength.

Moreover, our vision is to make Miagao, an economic center and a major tourist destination in the Province of Iloilo where people are living peacefully in a disaster and a climate change resilient community. To achieve this, we are responsibly taking actions towards our mission to assure that the local government unit is committed to serve its people with zeal and dedication through transparent and responsible governance espoused by competent officials and employees imbued with adequate skills and knowledge to attain the desired vision of Miagao. Definitely, both are now eventually come into reality.

This year is another venture for use Miagaowanon! Indeed, it is my honor and heartfelt gratitude for another opportunity of the DOST-PTRI Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center (RYPIC). Again, my warmest congratulations and may all your best effort and perseverance come to fruition today and for the forthcoming years. God Bless!

MUNICIPAL MAYOR MACARIO N. NAPULAN, M.D.

Panublix

My name is Noreen Bautista, I ran a company called Slashignite Social venture builder but we do is build social enterprises that have a focus on impact in the environment. It just so happened that one of the enterprises we’re building called Panublix.

Panublix is a textile sourcing platform and marketplace that aims to connect Philippine weavers and Garment makers with the fashion design market. The concept is really a product of COVID-19 pandemic.

We wanted to actually revive the textile capital of the Philippines title of Iloilo.

I was in the inauguration of PTRI's Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center in 2019, where I saw for myself the facility of RYPIC in Miag-ao. And that really open my mind to possibilities that finally we can produce real yarns. And as a daughter of Iloilo, I was so proud and I personally wanted to get into this innovation to bring our textile, even our hablon or handwoven weaves heritage that we have in Iloilo to the 21st century.

When I heard about RYPIC and PTRIs involvement in natural textiles I was really excited on bringing it to the global stage. That is why waht we are doing now, Panublix is trying to get the online marketplace so it would be easy for designers, buyers, wherever in the world to really buy natural fibers or cotton-abaca blends, cotton-piña blends and all the natural fibers that PTRI has been producing.

I'm very very thankful of involvement of PTRI and their partnership because again being part of the Department of Science and Technology, it really shows that investment that our government is bringing towards innovation, especially in the textile industry which has been in need of innovation for the longest time. As a matter of fact when the industrial revolution happened it was really the textile industry that spurred it. In Panublix, we're hoping that we can contribute to being the gateway in a renaissance of the Philippine sustainable fashion. The trends right now for fashion is all about materials going back to natural materials and heritage, the kind of slow fashion, sustainable fashion, principles. I feel the RYPIC facility and the whole operation that PTRI is enabling will be crucial to making that happen. So future plans and directions in Philippine natural textiles while we hope to really bring more market access. We hope that we'd be able to export and be contributing to the export market of the textile sector and hopefully we can also create innovations in the fashion and design industry as well. Like integrating more material science into our textiles and how can we further innovate our materials. So being that we're here in Iloilo, we have also so many scientific talent at the same time our heritage bearers, our weavers, our embroiderers like the one that made this Panubok embroidery, our indigenous communities in Panay, Bukidnon, we are excited to be bringing one into together because it's really about an ecosystem of community of textile enablers and supporters and PTRI and the RYPIC is has been a very important stakeholder for us in this regard.

Madamo gid nga salamat PTRI. Padayon!

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