The country’s first textile engineering school will be set up at the Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U), Miagao campus.
“Weaving will be integrated in the Home Economics program,” said Dr. Raul Muyong, ISAT-U president, noting the state university has sent faculty to India for training and are in a position to jump start the program.
It will begin with a modest curriculum as it will take a bit of time given the protocols to be followed before a full program is approved, said Prospero De Vera, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education.
Faculty, laboratories and equipment need to be in place first, he said, suggesting instead that for a start ISAT-U can start a consortium tapping partner universities such as the Aklan State University and the Mariano Marcos State University in Ilocos Norte.
“It’s an opportunity for developing a BS program in textile technology, a ladderized version, from a certificate course to a full diploma course,” Muyong said.
“The facility will enhance R&D as well as our proposed programs on textile technology certificate, BS Textile Technology, short-term courses for textile technicians and so on,” he said, adding its operations will be sustained because the demand is there. “It will make big difference in our weaving industry, the local and regional economy.”
ISAT-U is in a good position to open a textile engineering course. A P40-million Regional Innovation Center for Yarns and Textiles Regional Facility was set up on campus last November by the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI). This year, it will start producing 2,000 meters of silk.
The facility addresses the value chain gap for talented weavers, designers and producers who still buy textile and yarn materials from elsewhere.
The facility also supports the cultural traditions in textiles to catalyze developments born of textile research, said Celia Elumba, PTRI director. “Hopefully, it will nurture textile technologists and raise engineers to grow the fledgling potential in an industry.”
The abaca and cotton industries will be revived, said assistant secretary Jonji Gonzales of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas who puts abaca production in Western Visayas at 1.08 million kilograms. “It would be more profitable that we derive fabrics and textiles from it first rather than just exporting raw abaca outright.”
The Regional Innovation Center for Yarns and Textiles Regional Facility, meant to serve Western Visayas, could serve the whole of Central Philippines. Abaca, for example, is widely grown in the Leyte and Samar provinces.
The center is a mirror of a similar facility at PTRI R&D center in Bicutan, Taguig City. The Bicutan facility has processed 1,700 kg. of pure Philippine cotton and converted into products that increased client sales by 15 percent.
Nearly 600 kg. of cotton, for example, have been blended with sugarcane bagasse and converted into bags, runners, place and tea mats for the local and export markets of the Roxas Foundation.
Narda’s Handwoven Arts and Crafts registered a 20 percent sales increase, enabling it to hire 10 more weavers and six more sewers with the 500 kg. of cotton/abaca and cotton/pineapple yarns processed.
Narda’s also developed 30 new styles and 40 new color shades using PTRI’s natural dyeing technology.
Pinili Weavers in Ilocos Norte increased sales by 30 percent with the 165 kg. of pure cotton yarns processed at PTRI.
The Negros Nine Weavers in Kabankalan, the Guinzalan Weavers in Mt. Province and the Butterfly Haven in Bulacan developed 78 weave designs using the PTRI facility.
