The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI) and the Great Women Philippines Inc. (GWPI) along with the Iloilo Science and Technology University and the local Government of Miagao, Iloilo, recently inaugurated the Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Centre (RYPIC) to enable local weavers in Miagao to source yarn from the town.
According to DOST-PTRI Director Celia Elumba, there is a demand for textile manufactured in the domestic market, especially those made from local raw materials. Elumba said though the country has a preferential trade agreement with Japan, the lack of materials in producing textiles cannot sustain the partnership. The same is also a challenge for a similar trade agreement with Europe, a report quoted her as saying. The RYPIC in Miagao town has 300 spindles to process blended yarns. There are total 200,000 spindles in the country, she informed. GWPI is a project of the Philippine Commission on Women to empower women in the economic environment, provide support to product design and market.
