New Misamis center brings commercial PHL silk production closer to reality
THE PHILIPPINES is getting closer to its goal of producing en masse that most luxurious of textiles: silk.
On Jan. 25, during the SEDA Conference webinar, the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DoST-PTRI) unveiled the Silk Research and Innovation Center in Misamis Oriental. The center is the first fully operational filature facility in Mindanao, and outside the PTRI headquarters in Bicutan. The Mindanao facility can convert 25 kilograms of dried cocoons into seven kilograms of raw silk yarn daily.
DoST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said, “It bridges the seemingly hopeless gap that has beleaguered the Philippine silk industry for a very long time.”
He also observed that compared with the initial efforts for Philippine silk in 1982, he said, “What we have now is truly a breakthrough.”
A series of “periodic silkworm rearings” were conducted from 1978-1981 “to evaluate the performance of silkworm races for selection of breeds for the production of local hybrids that can yield good quality cocoons and silk,” said an article, “Silkworm breeding for the development of Philippine pure lines,” in the International System for Agricultural Science and Technology (AGRIS), which was first published in the National Science and Technology Authority Technology Journal in 1982. The data from this study showed that the cocoons produced back then met the standards set in Japan and Korea.
Alongside the launch of the center was the unveiling of the SEDA Pilipinas brand, that aims to develop the silk industry in the Philippine with programs in silk production.
The final product, a collection from clothing brand Bayo, was shown to an audience on Jan. 25.
A Memorandum of Agreement was also signed between the DOST-PTRI and Bayo, which will result in special collections made from the Philippine silk. This was shown in an exhibition at the PTRI, with Bb. Pilipinas International Hannah Arnold serving as ambassador. The clothes, according to DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, featured natural dyes.
Cheryl Lopez, Program Leader of SEDA Pilipinas, and Senior Science Research Specialist of the DOST-PTRI showed the inroads they have made in silk production, as well as the resources needed to further the program. For example, she notes that from traditional handwoven methods, they have been exploring digital options in applications of patterns and designs.
They have also been doing genomic studies on Philippine-reared silkworms, to produce better, suitable, and productive strains. As for the silk production hubs or silk farms, they have created crop rotation programs for the farmers who plant the mulberry (on which silkworms feed), utilizing one-fourth of a hectare at a time.
Ms. Lopez also reported that the Silk Research and Innovation Center in Misamis Oriental will be capable of producing 40% of the annual local raw silk demand of 10 tons. This translates to 1,612 boxes of hybrid silkworm eggs, 80 hectares of mulberry plantations, and 161 silk production hubs.
As of 2022, they have only reached 25% of the resources needed for the center to produce at full capacity. This comes from gaps in the overall system: this year, they only have 20 hectares of mulberry plantations, as well as 40 cocoon producers. They plan to reach their goals in 2025, working to double their resources by next year, to reach a goal of 40 hectares of mulberry plantations and 80 cocoon producers. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is offering courses in Cocoon Production as well.
“We should have, within the first semester of the year, plied silk yarns from Bago City, Negros Occidental, and reeled silk from Kalinga,” said Mr. Dela Peña of plans for increasing the size of the country’s silk production.
“The future is one that is creative, sustainable, and inclusive. From this, we can nurture the Filipino dream, and clothe the Filipino spirit.” — Joseph L. Garcia
