Art, craft, and food combine in Kalibo café

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THE Haboean Weaving Studio

Women’s Hands, Woven Stories by Margaux Blas and Moreen Austria

Story and photos by Zsarlene B. Chua

FOR YEARS, Kalibo was seen as little more than a stopover for travelers headed to Boracay. Flights landed, vans waited, and visitors breezed through on their way to the island’s white sands. But with the expansion of Caticlan Airport, much of that tourism traffic shifted closer to Boracay itself, leaving Kalibo to redefine what it could offer beyond being a gateway.

It is with this background that Haboean Weaving Studio and Cafe found its place. Tucked within Villa Peraz Subdivision, the café embodies the layers and warmth of Aklanon culture while giving both locals and visitors a reason to linger and discover Kalibo.

The name “Haboean” comes from the Aklanon word haboe — to weave or blanket — paired with -an, a suffix that means “a place of.” It reflects both its weaving roots and its role as a space of comfort. Stepping inside, guests are welcomed by the aroma of specialty coffee, the sight of handwoven textiles, a tranquil koi pond, and an atmosphere that encourages unhurried conversation.

Opened in 2023, Haboean Cafe is owned and operated by the Dela Cruz House of Piña, a family enterprise that has championed Aklan’s weaving traditions since 1986. The company supplies major US retailers such as Williams-Sonoma, Dillard’s, and HomeGoods, with some products earning recognition from the UNESCO Asian Handicraft Promotion and Development Association. Beyond exports — including abaca macramé to Japan — the company and the family also pursue ways to keep piña and nito weaving relevant, balancing tradition with small innovations that help the craft endure, according to the café’s website.

A CULTURE WOVEN INTO TEXTILE
Unlike most cafés, Haboean doubles as a cultural hub. Alongside its Vietnamese-inspired food, pastries, and good coffee, it regularly stages art exhibits, talks, and workshops. Past programs have included the exhibit Soft Wilderness by Janine Tolores and Carl Parohinog. During this writer’s visit in early August, the café was hosting Patterns, an exhibition of emerging artists such as Margaux Blas and Moreen Austria. Blas and Austria’s piece, Women’s Hands, Woven Stories, stitched together indigenous Iloilo weaves, Bacolod jute fiber, Philippine prints, and even Korean textiles — a patchwork reflecting women’s roles in the workplace, the home, and society.

Above the exhibit is the weaving studio, where a small group of artisans sustain the centuries-old craft of piña weaving. Visitors can observe the transformation of pineapple fibers into the gossamer threads that define Aklan’s textile heritage. The studio also produces liniwan, considered the most intricate and delicate form of piña fabric — finer, lighter, and twice as demanding in time and cost compared to blended textiles, according to Let Dela Cruz of Dela Cruz House of Piña in a 2024 interview with HABI, the Philippine Textile Council.

A STORY TOLD THROUGH FOOD
The ground-floor café serves Vietnamese-inspired dishes, a nod to owners Ding and Elmer’s years with the International Organization for Migration in Bataan and Palawan. There, they worked with displaced Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugees preparing to resettle abroad — and in the process, developed a lasting appreciation for the recipes that now flavor Haboean’s menu.

This writer tried the pho bò (P165 for a single serving), a light yet satisfying bowl that proved to be the perfect companion after a day in the sun. Despite the heat, the noodle soup’s mild, comforting flavors offered a soothing balance.

In weaving together food, art, and heritage, Haboean shows that Kalibo is more than just a stop on the way to Boracay. It is a place where traditions are kept alive, stories are shared, and visitors are invited to slow down and stay a little longer.

Haboean Cafe is located at Villa Peraz Subdivision New Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan. The café and studio is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (It is closed on Mondays). For more information, visit https://haboean.com/ and its social media pages.

Zsarlene B. Chua is a former BusinessWorld reporter who is now a fledgling PR girl. She’s all about skincare, makeup, and video games — and occasionally food. None of the products she reviews or writes about are the writer’s clients. Contact the author at zsarlene.chua@gmail.com.