Small stitches, huge impact

Aboitiz Renewables helps preserve authentic, handcrafted indigenous products in Bukidnon

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The responsibility of preserving culture moves the hearts and hands of indigenous artisans from the Higaonon tribe in rural Impasugong, Bukidnon.

For them, building a better future means passing on the work of traditional craftsmanship to a new generation willing to take up the mantle.

"Tribal attire is important because people respect it. Our parents took care of it then. Whatever our parents did before, that's what we take care of now," said Cherlie Tundanay, 63, one of the few left skilled in sewing traditional tribal attire.

"It's important to me to teach whatever I know about sewing. This is not only for my grandchildren, but for young people who want to learn sewing," she explained. "I haven't taught them yet because we lack sewing materials."

For over a hundred years, the culture of weaving colorful clothes and making bead necklaces was cultivated, with the designs and the items themselves becoming powerful symbols of tribe identity, spirituality, and respect for ancestry. "Red means bravery, white symbolizes peace, [and] yellow signifies a golden heart and kindness," the master seamstress detailed.

and the sewing process, courtesy of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA. The venue allowed beneficiaries to learn and experiment with more draft patterns, techniques, and products.

Tahi 'Ta! also provided them with the sewing machines, full sewing kits, cloth, and other materials.