Vigan City, Ilocos Sur – “This industry should be handed down to the younger generation or else it will cease,” Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Parisya H. Taradji said during her visit to the senior citizen-loom weavers in this city.

Usec. Taradji appreciated the initiative of the senior citizen-group in sustaining the production of the Abel,  the native cloth of the Ilocanos.

Some 25 loom weavers who are all senior citizens formed their group and called it Camanggaan – Self-Employment Kaunlaran Association (SKA).

The group received a seed capital assistance amounting to P125,000 from DSWD through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) to finance their loom weaving business.

The Camanggaan SKA is one of the 15,245 beneficiaries of SLP in the Ilocos Region, as of June 2014.

Lola Josefina Tablo, 67,  the President  of the group,  said that the capital assistance helped the members increase their production.

Within two years, the group was able to repay the whole amount to DSWD.

To date, the senior group members  are working on their own novelty items like table runners, place mats, bags, office portfolio, and wallets, among others.

Loom woven products are patronized by local and foreign tourists visiting the famous Heritage Village and Baluarte, two of the city’s tourist spots.

Lola Josefina earns an average of P7,000 a month. She has market outlets in this city and in Bangar, La Union  for her products that include body bags, passport bags, place mats, and table runners.

According to Lola Josefina, she has six workers regularly weaving table runners and place mats.

Lola Perpetua Castañeda, 78,  is one of them.

Despite having a slower pace and weakened muscles, Lola Perpetua said she still has the strength to work.

“Agtrabahoak agingga iti kayak (I will work until my strength carries me on),” she shared.

She joyfully works on the tilyar, a  wooden weaving equipment, from which she earns a minimum of P500 a week.

Both Lola Perpetua and Lola Josefina claim that they were able to send their children to school by being loom weavers in their younger days.

They are encouraging more senior citizens to work, help the industry regain its glory and, at the same time, become more productive.

The members of the Camanggaan SKA are thankful of the DSWD capital assistance.

“Narigat ta baket kamin ngem kayat mi pay nga pumintas ti panagbiag mi ken ti pamilya me,  isu nga itured mi (It is difficult because we are already old, but we want to help our loved one, so we have to endure. We can still do it),” Lola Josefina said. ###