A weaver's greatest triumph: College diplomas for 6 kids

TUBIGON, Bohol , Philippines  â€” Old-fashioned loomweaving of raw materials that are becoming scarce in this part of Bohol has paid off.

"I was able to send my six of eight children to school successfully, finishing college degrees through my work in loomweaving of buri," Felicidad Lanzaderas, 74, a loomweaver here, said in an exclusive interview on Friday with this writer.

Lanzaderas, said to be oldest knitter, is then a member Tubigon Loomweavers Association turned into what is now Tubigon Loomweaving Multi-purpose Cooperative based in Barangay Pinayagan Norte in this town.

She said she began working as a loomweaver in a primitive way, then using the traditional wooden equipment since 1990, a year after the birth of the association.

She candidly said she has no regrets working this way through hard work and perseverance in her daily grind augmented by her husband, Bernandino Lanzaderas, 77, who is a fisherman.

Asked if she still keeps on weaving despite her old age but still looks healthy, she amiably said in the affirmative while she's tending fine threads for producing "bleach" or "saguran-like" made of buri fiber.

Ms. Ruth Calonia, 42, another fiber weaver, expressed the same passion for the loomweaving work. Through loomweaving, she and her husband fisherman Antonio Calonia, 45, were able to raise their children.

She is also a member of the cooperative, which now has 100 advocates working in various fields of loomweaving industry.

While trying to put in order the buri fine threads on the wooden machine while being interviewed, Calonia said that her daughter, Karleen, 19, works next to her. While she is producing colorful placemats, her daughter on "bleach." All of those are for export since they command high price.

Mayor Marlon Amila, for his part, said in exclusive interview that the municipal government continues to extend whatever help it can for the coop members' welfare and industry's improvement and development.

One concrete assistance to the loomweavers is the lot where the plant is erected being donated by the municipal government, the mayor said. He also tries his best to help the loomweavers recuperate its building destroyed by the tremor in this hardesd hit town.  (FREEMAN)