24 March 2017 – In celebration of International Women’s Month, the Philippine Embassy together with the Commonwealth Club hosted an afternoon tea, featuring an Exhibition of Philippine Indigenous Fabrics and Cultural Presentation, at the Commonwealth Club in Canberra on March 14.

The exhibition is an initiative of Ms. Sally Barber, State Director of Philippine-based Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, and award-winning writer, Dr. Merlinda Bobis.

Philippine Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz gave a presentation on traditional weaving as a fine art of resilience. She shared the history and evolution of Philippine traditional weaving, its continuing legacy as a living tradition, and the role of women and girls (weavers) with their stories of resilience and creativity. The Embassy showcased the different Philippine textiles and clothes made of piña, jusi, hablon, yakan, inabel and t’nalak.

Through this indigenous textile and accessories display, the Philippine Embassy hopes to give tribute to the women weavers who were, and continue to be, pillars of their economies and societies. END