After
two years, I had a chance to go back to Baler, Aurora, a province in the
Philippines with Gerard and his family. In those two years many things have
changed and unlike before, Aurora has attracted more tourist local and foreign alike. The main improvement that we’ve noticed is the road. Way back in 2007, we had to
pass through a long winding rough road, made mostly of dirt and gravel, just to surf on weekends. Now more than
ninety percent of the road to Aurora has been paved with cement, making the
travel more comfortable. Another development
is the upsurge of new lodgings followed by now an expanded Pasalubong Center
(Souvenir Shop), offering t-shirts, key chains, and other native products, as keepsakes to name a few, and
most of all products made of “sabutan”.
What
really interests me the most is the upsurge in the selection of “sabutan”
products offered by the vendor as souvenirs. It has been my habit to head
straight to a market place when I travel. I admit it’s one of my weaknesses.
I truly enjoy hunting for finds especially products unique to the locale, and
meeting the artisans that made them is a bonus.
“Sabutan is a species of the Pandan plant that grows in the
wilds of the Philippines. They reach a height of 6 to 12 feet its leaves
turning green when mature and ready for harvesting. To create the fine and
sophisticated finish, Sabutan is known for two major processes which take place:
the preparation of Sabutan leaves and the weaving into fibers. The preparation
of the raw material is done in the traditional manual fashion. Once the raw
Sabutan is ready, it is dyed and hand woven into asymmetrical patterns and
shapes. This produces your one of a kind design."
(http://www.mtjtraders.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=54)
The locals of Aurora identify their province to "sabutan". In
one of the articles I read on Aurora, Philippines portal, the promotion
of "sabutan" products began in 1989 with the use of this material traced to utilitarian beginnings, particularly by farmers. I had a chance to meet some women weavers a few years ago, and I even experimented on using “sabutan”
mini-pouches as packaging for my trinkets. I was also looking for a way to integrate
the use of this homegrown raw material into accessories. Unfortunately, this vision never
materialized, but I was glad to know that the weavers finally expanded the range
of “sabutan” products into bags, fans and hats to belts, headbands, earrings
and necklaces sold at affordable prices. A pair of earrings was sold at
PhP25.00, while the necklaces cost PhP100.00. I was in bargain paradise!
In
an article by Manila Bulletin, Aurora registered a surging 1300%
increase in tourism arrival for the last 6 years. We wouldn’t be surprised if
more and more people discover the natural beauty that Aurora has to offer in the
coming years. It truly is a wonderful destination with wonderful people and
local products to boot.- PJV
Palanan: Sabutan Products
