UNESCO includes Aklan piña on Intangible Cultural Heritage list
MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed the handwoven piña or pineapple textile of Aklan province into its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.
This is the Philippines' fifth ICH recognized by UNESCO as the List of ICH in Need of Urgent Safeguarding already contains the Hudhud chants and the Punnuk ritual of the Ifugao, the Darangen epic of the Meranaw, and the Buklog ritual of the Subanen.
Separately, UNESCO's Register of Good Safeguarding Practices has inscribed the National Commission for Culture and the Arts' (NCCA) School of Living Traditions.
The former list where handwoven piña is now inscribed is composed of "elements that help demonstrate the diversity of this heritage and raise awareness about its importance" while the latter where the other four Philippine ICHs are elements that "require urgent measures to keep them alive."
Handwoven piña's inclusion was declared during the 18th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee in Kasane, Botswana last week attended by States Party representatives, non-governmental organizations, cultural institutions, and other global stakeholders.
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44 other elements were inscribed with piña on the Representative List of the ICH of Humanity, six were inscribed on the List of ICH in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, and four programs were selected for the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.
This brings UNESCO's ICH lists to 694 elements from 140 countries while the Register now features 37 practices from 31 countries.
The NCCA noted that piña is distinguishable due to its use of the fiber of the pineapple leaves, whereas most Philippine handwoven textiles use cotton and abaca, "producing a translucent fabric with an elegant luster and the color of ivory, remarkable for its delicacy and simplicity."
Piña is the prime material in Filipino formal attire like the Terno and the Barong Tagalog. It can be embroidered or painted on for creative expression, and such products are often passed on as heirloom pieces given the unchanged practice is estimated to be about two centuries old.
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