The Story of Philippine Cloths
Media
Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People
- Title
- The Story of Philippine Cloths
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1936
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- .Way, 1!1/!6 THE YOUNG CITIZEN 113 The Story Of Philippine Cloths • Pl"'A • AVE you seen a pineapple plant'/ H Perhaps one grows in your yard. Do you notice the pointed stems and tl\e strong leaves? From these, cloth can be woven. A long time ago, there was very little silk in the Philippines. So the women wove material from the pineapple plant and used this for their holiday clothes. This material, which is known as the piiia cloth, is very beautiful and fine. It is soft and can be made into the most charming skirts. The fine threads and glossy appearance of the material makes it one of the most expensive materials manufactured in the Philippines. In getting the fibers from the pinneaple plant, care is taken that it is not broken or cut. A tool with a blunt edge is used. A sharp knife would spoil the fiber. When the fiber is cleaned, washed and dried, it becomes soft and lustrous. Sometimes the piiia cloth is woven solely of pineapple fiber. When it is pure, the cloth is delicate and silky and can be made Next to the church, the most sought out spot of Antipolo is the Hinulugang Taktak. This is a series of streams and falls locaterl some kilometers distant from the town. Here people, young and old, get plenty of fun bathing 01· sight-seeing. Tall trees and grasslands line the trails which lead tu these famous falls and streams. Mangoes, santol, and other delicious native fruits may be bought or picked on the way to Hinulugang Taktak. into pretty dresses and other articles of women's wear. It can also be embroidererl and sold for a very high price. To save some expense, the pineapple fiber can be mixed with other fibers, such as sinamay, cotton or silk. The i·esult is also very beautiful and can be sold for a good price. Handkerchiefs, doilies, centerpieces and sometimes framed embroideries are made of the good piiia cloth. The piiia cloth is manufactured mostly in Capiz, although the plant grows all over the Philippines. Other piaces like Rizal, Bulacan, and the Bicol region manufacture a little also, but this is largely the mixed kind which is cheaper. Capiz makes the cloth not only for use in the Philippines but also for exporting to other countries of the world.