One of the casualties of the mass production is the disappearance of the many craftsmen around the world. In place of highly gifted individuals, machines tirelessly toil away for twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Fortunately, not all of these skilled people have been rendered extinct as there are still a few pockets here and there. One place can be found in Binatuan Creations in Palawan, while another can be found along the fringes of Vigan.
Rowilda’s Handloom Weaving is one of the few organizations that have survived the onslaught of automation. Working out of the ground floor of a simple home, skilled people weave anything from king-sized blankets, to table runners, to bath robes, to beach towels, all the way to place mats.
The typical colors they use are a bit on the modern side. Mostly composed of two solid bold, like brown, yellow, or orange, which is probably why it is even popular with today’s younger generations.
Table of Contents
Vigan – A few Years Back
Just like Ruby Pottery, Rowilda’s Handloom Weaving was another one of those places I could not find after my very first trip to Vigan. In my defense, it was very different back then, being less populated and having less tourists.
One of the things I recall about Vigan all those years ago was that once the sun went down, the entire town would go to bed. So by seven o’clock in the evening, the place would be deserted and deathly quiet.
And while Vigan enjoyed popularity among the people of the Philippines, it was still one of those well-kept secrets from people abroad.
Vigan – Today
By contrast, today’s Vigan is well-known around, especially after it was declared a United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture, or UNESCO, World Heritage site back in the year 1999.
With the influx of tourists, hotels began to sprout in order to handle the volume. Restaurants also began to mushroom in order to cater to varied tastes. Fortunately, any new structures have followed the Vigan City’s guidelines, which means they have to look old as well.
Manual Weaving
Due primarily to its authentic beauty, many local productions like to use Vigan as a backdrop for movies. One of the Philippines’ most famous local actors, the late great Fernando Poe, Jr., was said to have fallen so in love with Vigan that he regularly featured it in his period movies.
This olden city has become quite popular abroad as well, with Hollywood shooting some scenes here. One example is purportedly one of the scenes found in The Fourth of July starring Tom Cruise. Instead of filming in Mexico, Vigan was supposedly used in its place.
Thanks to increase of tourists, time does not stop at sundown anymore. Restaurants along and around Calle Crisologo now stay open up to, at the very least, nine in the evening. And activities, like a modern dancing fountain of Plaza Salcedo provides tourists with a water and light display every seven o’clock at night.
In spite of these changes, places like Rowilda’s Handloom Weaving have still managed to survive by using traditional methods of manufacturing.
And while their production technique lead many to conclude that Rowilda’s Handloom Weaving is centuries’ old, these same people are sometimes surprised to hear that it is actually much, much younger.
Started in 1975 by Dominique Panela, the store carries the name of his daughter Rowilda. And it was his daughter Rowilda and her husband that we dealt with during our visit.
Calle Crisologo Branch – The Store
Much to my surprise, there are actually two branches of Rowilda’s Handloom Weaving. The first one is the store found on Calle Crisologo corner General Luna at the Heritage Village in Vigan City. Step inside and patrons will be greeted by stacks of hand-woven items.
This place is often manned by sales girls ever ready to provide assistance. But on some occasions, Rowilda will be manning the place herself.
Camanggaan Branch – The Factory
The second one can be found at Camanggaan, Vigan City and is close to Baluarte. Usually included in the Calesa Tour, the second one is basically the factory where all the items are woven.
Visiting the main store may disappoint some because it does not resemble the pristine factory floor where mass production is done. Instead, people will be greeted by a simple two-story house with manually driven weaving machines on the ground floor.
Manual Weaving Machine
As I mentioned earlier, the technology used can be traced back to the time before large-scale machines dominated the production landscape. So if you are interested in trying your hand, and foot, at traditional weaving, this is the place to do it.
Upon arrival, the young husband-wife team managing Rowilda’s Handloom Weaving will be more than happy to let you sit down at a machine and teach you the basics. And while it will be difficult at first, it get easier with time.
Scattered in between these machines are twines of different colored string. Some will be sealed in bags, while others will have strands leading to the weaving machines. The arrangement may look a bit haphazard, but I am told that there is a method to the madness.
One side of the house will be dominated by a floor to ceiling cabinets; glass windows make it easy for tourists to see all the products for sale.
Since both branches sell exactly the same products, you might think that the convenience of the store in Calle Crisologo would win out. Well, if it is convenience you are looking for, then you would be right.
But if you are looking to get a discount or take a peek at the latest designs, then the factory is the place to visit. The husband is quite generous at giving discounts for items purchased here because, unlike Calle Crisologo, there is no rent to be paid here.
Items
Unbeknownst to some, the products churned out by Rowilda’s Handloom Weaving can be found in some of the bigger malls in the country. However, many of them may carry a different name, typically something in-brand. Being the case, they also tend to be much more expensive; something like three to four times more than what you will pay in Vigan.
Manual Weaving Machines
During my first trip, the one thing I bought each member of my family were blankets. Apart from getting each one a unique design, I had individual names embroidered on each blanket. Back then, there were no computer-controlled machines, so it had to be sewn in by someone with a sharp eye and steady hand.
[I believe they used foot-powered sewing machine back then.]
If you plan on having any items embroidered with names, add something like three days for the entire process. Those staying in Vigan long, it shouldn’t be a problem as the finished items can be delivered to their hotels.
But for those staying in Vigan for just a day, making arrangements to have them sent through a delivery company may be needed. In this case, coordinating with the husband-wife team should be done before any embroidery work is started.
This time around, I still bought a couple of blankets for my family. However, my wife and I added a few more items for friends since Christmas is fast approaching. For the latter, we chose several sets of place mats that sported the latest designs and color schemes.
[So hot off the presses, they had to be cut in front of us!]
Final Thoughts
While Rowilda’s Handloom Weaving may not be considered a traditional tourist attraction because of its simplicity, I understand that it still draws its own set of visitors.
Manual Weaving Machines
The first reason is that people who want to try their hand out at traditional weaving don’t have to fly all the way to Binatuan Creations in Palawan for it. All they have to do is drive or fly to Vigan City then take a Calesa for the experience. And the second reason is that the husband is quite generous at providing customers with discounts.
Incidentally, you many have noticed that I did not mention prices this time around. Well, listing their prices would just spoil the surprise this Christmas. However, I will go as far as to state the total amount we spent was a little over PhP 4,500.
That amount was actually conservative as there was a lot more I wanted to buy – more blankets… more towels… more place mats. I actually would have spent as much as PhP 10,000 because I have the habit of keeping everything I buy after getting home.
[They are just too nice to part with.]
Manual Weaving Machine
Fortunately for everyone else, my wife was quick enough to keep the stuff we planned on giving away as soon as I killed the engine of our car.
[This means some friends will be getting something this Christmas.]
Between the two amounts, PhP 4,500 should be about right for a typical six-member family and a few close friends.
[Aha! I still didn’t mention the number of friends so they won’t be able to compute!]
Finally, Rowilda’s Handloom Weaving only takes cash so you might want to withdraw from any of the Automated Teller Machines, or ATMs, scattered around Plaza Salcedo before getting on a Calesa. I suggest withdrawing more than you really need because you might end up buy than you plan to.
Must Do’s
- Try your hand, and foot, at the weaving machine.
- Check out the varied designs and color schemes.
Must Don’ts
- Pay attention to your children as they may end up getting tangled in the string used for weaving.
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