The country celebrates Philippine Tropical Fabrics (PTF) every January.
Through Proclamation 313, Series of 2012, the monthlong activities aim to promote textile production using natural textile fibers, technologies and industries in the Philippines, the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) said in a news release
It also aims to revitalize the local textile industry toward inclusive growth through the generation of livelihood for Filipinos and to provide materials that nurture and promote a truly Filipino textile brand.
The PTF contains natural textile fibers from pineapple leaf, abaca, banana, and Philippine silk, which are produced, spun, woven, or knitted, and finished in the Philippines.
The Department of Science and Technology through the PTRI (DOST-PTRI) leads the nation in the celebration of the PTF Month annually with activities to engage textile-garment and allied industries, including the private sector, associations and institutions, and the academe in using PTF.
Public officials’ and employees’ involvement is also enjoined as PTF is prescribed for their uniforms, based on Republic Act 9242, wherein fabrics to be used must contain at least 5 percent by weight of either abaca leaf sheath, banana pseudostem and pineapple leaf, or 15 percent by weight of silk.
With the theme, “Pushing Boundaries for Sustainable, Competitive, and Inclusive Philippine Textile-Garment Industry,” the activities and programs this January 2023 celebrate milestones, launches regional hubs, and raise awareness of using and developing Philippine textiles, local natural resources, and mainstream developed textile solutions and technologies.
Sustainability and innovation drive the textile and garment industries forward and offer the industry the impetus and platform to rebuild a solid and circular textile-garment economy.
The activities kicked off on January 3. The remaining events during the month are the Philippine Textile Industry Stakeholders’ Conference on January 26; the Fourth Philippine Silk Summit on January 27; and the opening of the Philippine Tropical Fabrics Exhibition at the Batasan Pambansa on January 31.
The DOST-PTRI, while sustaining its research and development efforts, is looking forward to building a truly inclusive Philippine textile-garment industry and achieving its goal to mainstream PTF for all textile applications with a fabric that is truly Filipino.