THE Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) expressed support for a textile exhibit that aims to educate Filipinos abroad, support local weavers with fair wages, and preserve weaving traditions through workshops.
CFO Chairman Dante Ang II met on Jan. 29 with Dr. Almira Astudillo Gilles, a 2012 Pamana ng Pilipino Presidential Awardee and The Hinabi Project (THP) president based in the United States, to discuss the project.
Ang helped the THP connect with government agencies for potential sponsorship and to show CFO’s commitment to “actively engage with overseas Filipinos, especially those honored as presidential awardees.”
The exhibit, planned for January 2027 in partnership with the National Museum of the Philippines, is envisioned as a symbolic balikbayan journey for textiles, celebrating Filipino craftsmanship and living traditions, the CFO said.
It will showcase antique and commissioned handwoven textiles produced by Filipino weavers and collected by THP for the past 12 years as a US non-profit organization.
Gilles said that while the initiative has received positive feedback, securing funding for the exhibit remains challenging.
Gilles’ engagement with the CFO began in 2025 during her cultural research in Batanes.
She was also a resource person in the CFO’s Migration Talks, where she presented research on Ivatan ethnoastronomy, an indigenous knowledge system that connects celestial observation, mythology, and community life.
Michael Apattad and Manny Tibe of the CFO’s Policy, Planning, and Research Division joined the discussion and are expected to facilitate the support for Gilles.