Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) Commissioner Reynaldo P. Galupo visited the Tubigon Loom Weavers Multi-Purpose Cooperative and the Tubigon Raffia Gallery, Gasa sa Buli (Gift of the Buri Palm) to learn more about the town’s weaving industry and explore how its local resources and skills may open livelihood opportunities for urban poor communities.
The visit began with a meeting with Tubigon Loom Weavers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which has been in the industry for 34 years and counting. The cooperative produces woven materials from carefully processed buri fibers and continues to support the skills and livelihood of local weaving families.
The visit also brought him to the Tubigon Raffia Gallery, which showcases the local raffia weaving tradition through its Gasa sa Buli or Gift of the Buri Palm. The gallery demonstrates how natural raffia fibers are processed, dyed, and woven into bags, lamps, baskets, and other handcrafted products. The finished pieces reflect the creativity and craftsmanship of Boholano artisans and the enduring tradition of weaving in the community.
Galupo expressed his interest in exploring how the knowledge and practices found in Tubigon may be adapted to create livelihood opportunities for urban poor beneficiaries, particularly through skills development, community-based production, and the use of locally available natural resources.
The initiative is in consonance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the PCUP and the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PHILFIDA), which provides a framework for exploring fiber-based livelihood opportunities for communities in need.
Galupo said, the visit is part of his continuing effort to find practical livelihood opportunities that can help urban poor families earn through skills they can learn and resources that are available in their communities.
The Tubigon visit showed how a local tradition built around the buri palm can open possibilities for livelihood, skills development, and a better future for urban poor families.