“Philippine Piña” Exhibit in San Francisco Turns Spotlight on Pineapple Fabric as World’s New Intangible Cultural Heritage
Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer (center-right) are joined by The Hinabi Project President Maya Ong Escudero (extreme right), Vice President and exhibit curator Edwin Lozada (center-left), and Board Member Melissa Louise Sobrepeña at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open “Philippine Piña: Timeless Elegance – World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage” exhibit on 5 February 2024. (San Francisco PCG photo)
SAN FRANCISCO 08 February 2024— The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco collaborated with The Hinabi Project for an exhibit celebrating the recent inclusion of the Philippine piña (pineapple) fabric in the list of world intangible cultural heritage. And is the second exhibit held at the Consulate this year.
Held under the support of Sentro Rizal San Francisco, the Consulate co-organized the opening of the “Philippine Piña: Timeless Elegance – World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage” exhibit on 05 February 2024 at the Philippine Center in San Francisco’s Kalayaan Hall.
In his address, Consul General Neil Ferrer remarked that the exhibit comes on the heels of Philippine Tropical Fibers Month last January 2024, “an entire month dedicated to promoting natural textiles, advancing local industries, and creating livelihood opportunities for Filipinos.”
“At the heart of the Philippine Tropical Fibers Month celebration is the desire to showcase a wide spectrum of natural fibers sourced within the Philippines—from the piña, abaca, banana and bamboo, to the Philippine silk. These materials demonstrate the rich biodiversity of the Philippines, and the creativity and ingenuity of the Filipinos,” the Philippine Consul General added.
Consul General Ferrer also talked on the inclusion of the Aklan piña handloom weaving in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), at the 18th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2023.
Consul General Ferrer thanked The Hinabi Project “for being staunch advocates of Philippine natural textiles and weaves here in the United States, and for being champions of our local artisans and indigenous communities back home.”
“The Hinabi Project has long been a reliable partner of the Consulate in Philippine cultural promotion and diplomacy efforts in the Bay Area, and we thank you for your relentless efforts in showcasing the talent and creativity of our people here in America,” the Philippine Consul General said.
The Hinabi Project President and Acting Executive Director Maya Ong Escudero, on the other hand expressed her gratitude to the Consulate for providing a venue of holding their first exhibition of 2024 at the Philippine Center, and gave some insights on her group’s plan to mount another exhibit featuring the Ilocos inabel and Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan awardee Magdalena Gamayo, who will celebrate her 100th birthday this year.
It can also be recalled that Piña-made Barong Tagalog was worn by world leaders such as U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald Trump during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meetings in 1996 and 2015, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2017—which were also hosted by the Philippines.
The “Philippine Piña: Timeless Elegance – World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage” exhibit will run until 8 March 2024 at the Philippine Center. END
Consul General Neil Ferrer gives his remarks during the opening of “Philippine Piña: Timeless Elegance – World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage” exhibit at the Philippine Center’s Kalayaan Hall on 5 February 2024. (San Francisco PCG photo)
The Hinabi Project Vice President and exhibit curator Edwin Lozada leads a guided tour of “Philippine Piña: Timeless Elegance – World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage” exhibit at the Philippine Center’s Kalayaan Hall on 5 February 2024. (San Francisco PCG photos)
Consul General Neil Ferrer receives a copy of “Piña”, a book by Lourdes Montinola that is considered an authoritative resource on the Philippine pineapple fabric, at the opening of the “Philippine Piña: Timeless Elegance – World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage” exhibit on 5 February 2024. (San Francisco PCG photo)
A 10-minute video produced by UNESCO on Aklan piña handloom weaving can be accessed through this link: https://youtu.be/3tnyh9sN7bI?si=LKYBC_AkBpiImi3Q
For more information, visit http://pcgsanfrancisco.org