National Museum, WV weavers promote PH's Piña-Seda in Southeast Asia, Europe

The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) together with the weavers from Aklan and Antique provinces are in Thailand and Czech Republic promoting the country's age-old tradition of pie's weaving and embroidery. 

National Museum's travelling exhibition, Pirla-Seda Pineapple and Silk Cloths from the Tropics, opened on July 4 at the Museum Siam in Bangkok, Thailand and July 15 at the National Museum-Naprstek Museum of Asian, African and American Cultures in Prague, Czech Republic. 

The program in Bangkok is in partnership with the Office of Congresswoman Loren Legarda and the National Discovery Museum Institute and will run until July 27, 2019 while the one in Prague is in partnership with the Office of Congresswoman Legarda and the Philippine Embassy in Prague and will run until August 12, 2019. 

The travelling exhibition and corollary programs highlight pilia as a traditional and unique source of fiber in the Philippines, demonstrating the intricate features of the Filipino textile weaving and hand-embroidery heritage. 

"Through the travelling exhibition, the NMP aims to establish networks and promote Filipino culture to a global audience of heritage professionals, textile enthusiasts and researchers, and to the Filipino communities abroad," explained NMP Assistant Director Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador, who also heads the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Program. 

Dr. Labrador underscored the important roles of the weavers and embroiders as culture-bearers. "Our weavers and embroiderers are the keepers of Filipino tradition of weaving and embroidery — these are skills that have been passed from one generation of Filipino to another. Through this program, the National Museum is hopeful that these traditions that form part of our heritage will not be erased in the collective memory of the Filipino people — regardless where they are in the world," she said. 

Prague is the third destination of the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition in Asia, Europe and Americas for 2019 and the 10th destination from the first travelling exhibition at the Philippine Embassy in London in October 2017. Bangkok, on the other hand, was the second destination in Asia, next to Tokyo, Japan. Through the partnership with the different Philippine 

Service Posts and partner institutions abroad, the travelling exhibition was brought to six destinations in 2018 including Lisbon, Madrid, Frankfurt, Washington, New York and Honolulu.