WHEN PEOPLE bring up the popular tourist destination, La Union, one word comes to everyone's mind: surfing.
From the challenging waves crashing towards beach goers in San Juan, there's no denying the 'Elyu' is one of the best places to visit for surfers. In fact, the province became the staging point for the World Surf League.
And while Elyu has been making a lot of waves, its other specialities have been overlooked. Among them is their loom weaving expertise.
De Castro's is one of the most prominent loom weaving services in the province, located in the heart of Bangar.
Since the 1950s, De Castro's has been producing La Union's signature woven products, a legacy made by one of the pioneers in the industry, Benita De Castro.
PHOTO: Benita De Castro, weaver and former proprietor of De Castro Weaving
Now the next generation is in charge of carrying the mantel as both Ferdinand De Castro and Perlita Manongdo have taken charge of De Castro's Loom Weaving.
Their weavers do not use the highend machines, but rather a wooden contraption where they step on the pedals to create their design. Here's a sample video on how things are done.
For Manongdo, venturing into the business is an opportunity for them to provide jobs to the elderly.
A dying industry?
"Nakita po namin na meron potential ito and tsaka malaking bagay ito para sa mga older people na ipagpatuloy namin ito para makapagbigay kami ng trabaho sa kanila," started Perlita in an exclusive with SPIN.ph.
With the emergence of social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook, De Castro's products have reached a broader audience and this was something that Perlita highlighted.
"Sa ngayon medyo malakas yung Inabel (Bangar) products dahil sa mga TikTok, yung sa mga Facebook or sa mga Instagram."
Yet despite the higher reach, there are still concerns about its future. While technology has benefitted them, it could also be a curse to them especially with the next generations having a different lifestyle.
"Ang tingin po namin sa industry na ito is dying industry since yung mga weavers namin, mga 60 pataas na yung edad nila. Ang problema naman na nakikita namin is kapag tumaas yung demand, bumababa yung production kasi matatanda na sila," she reflected.
She added: "Yung mga kabataan ngayon, parang iba na yung hilig. More on cellphone and usually yung iba nakapag-aral na din so may mga work na rin. Parang nabibilang na lang sa kamay yung gustong maghabi."
Can De Castro's products be made elsewhere?
While the future remains uncertain for De Castro's Loom Weaving, their products have a unique feature that even modern technology couldn't replicate. Their products revolve around designs that requires the wooden contraption.
To include these designs, the weavers would shift the color of the yarn and they would make some tweaks around the strings of the loom to create the desired shape.
"Once na machine na yung gagawa nito, hindi makukuha yung mga design na hula hoops, diamonds, waves design. Yun talaga yung kaibahan kapag machine na, wala na yung mga design," revealed Perlita.
Such a unique tradition might be lost once De Castro's fears become a reality. It would also mark the end of the legacy that was briefly narrated by Perlita.
"So yung unang generation nila parang hindi pa kilala yung Inabel na ito parang trina-transport nila yung finish products nila to the nearby town. Tapos pinapalit nila sa ibang produkto like sa Balawan, yung mga gulay," explained Manongdo.
She further elaborated: "Habang nagbago yung panahon, nagta-transport sila sa Manila, nagbabagsak sila sa Divisoria. Tapos yung kapatid niya dati, na nakapag-asawa sa Manila, nagdadala sila ng goods doon tapos binabagsak nila sa mga tindahan like sa SM."
And they're hoping that they'll be receiving the necessary support to survive.
"Kaya yun yung nire-raise sa municipality namin na kailangan namin ng support parang mag-conduct ng mga training or seminars. Pero ang problema naman yung mga kabataan parang walang wiling na matuto."
For those travelling in La Union, tourists could visit their store located at 02 San Flaviano St., Central West No. 3, Bangar, Ilocos Region, Philippines, Bangar, Philippines.
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