Maybank Women Eco-Weavers launches 2nd weaving training center in the Philippines

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Philstar.com

October 27, 2026 | 4:11pm

BUKIDNON, Philippines -- Maybank Foundation, the social impact arm of Maybank Group, and Anthill Fabric Gallery, together with the Daraghuyan Bukidnon Tribe, officially launched the Daraghuyan Bukidnon Balay Hu Paglala Ha Abaka – Maybank Women Eco-Weavers (MWEW) Anthill Abaca Weaving Training Center at the Daraghuyan Tribal Housing Village in Barangay Dalwangan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

The new training center, which is the 13th center established under MWEW across five ASEAN countries and the second in the Philippines, provides a dedicated community space for weaving, skills development, knowledge transfer and production.

It also strengthens the connection between the Daraghuyan community’s women weavers and the farmers cultivating the abaca fiber used in their traditional Pinangabol weaving.

Its opening marks the latest chapter of MWEW’s 10th anniversary journey across Asean, following the program’s main regional celebration in Bali, Indonesia in August and its subsequent celebration in Siem Reap, Cambodia in September, held alongside the third MWEW Regional Natural Dye Workshop and the launch of the MWEW Color Silk Natural Dye Gallery.

Taking place during the Philippines’ Indigenous Peoples Month, the launch also celebrates the Daraghuyan community’s cultural heritage and the generations of women who continue to carry its traditional weaving knowledge.

Pinangabol is traditionally woven using abaca fibre, with patterns and colors carrying cultural meaning passed down through generations.

Empowering women through weaving

Launched in 2016, MWEW is Maybank Foundation’s regional program that promotes women’s economic independence while preserving traditional woven textile heritage and strengthening sustainable livelihoods.

Working with local partners and weaving communities, the program supports women with skills development, production and market access, while strengthening the wider ecosystems that sustain their craft, from natural fiber cultivation and natural dyeing to more sustainable and zero-waste practices.

In Bukidnon, this approach takes shape through the Daraghuyan community’s own fiber-to-fabric ecosystem. The area’s suitability for abaca cultivation, together with the presence of abaca farmers and women weavers from the same community, enables MWEW to strengthen the local value chain from fiber cultivation and processing through weaving and market access.

The new training center builds on these existing strengths by creating a permanent space where experienced weavers can pass their knowledge to new artisans, while supporting the community to strengthen production and pursue wider livelihood and market opportunities.

“The opening of the MWEW Anthill Abaca Weaving Training Center marks an important milestone for MWEW in the Philippines,” Izlyn Ramli, chief executive officer of Maybank Foundation and head of group corporate affairs of Maybank, said.

“Here in Bukidnon, we are already seeing this commitment take shape. We have supported 20 Daraghuyan women weavers and 25 abaca farmers, alongside the planting of 6,250 abaca plants. By connecting the women weavers with the abaca farmers from the same community, we are strengthening a local fibre-to-fabric ecosystem that builds on the community’s own knowledge and resources, while creating greater opportunities for sustainable livelihoods,” Ramli added.

Rooted in local partnership

MWEW expanded to the Philippines in 2025 through its partnership with Anthill Fabric Gallery, building on Anthill’s longstanding relationships with weaving communities across the country.

Anthill Fabric Gallery has worked with the Daraghuyan Bukidnon Tribe since 2011, supporting the community’s women artisans and traditional weaving practices. This longstanding relationship now forms part of the wider MWEW program in the Philippines.

“Our partnership with Daraghuyan has always been about more than textiles. It is about building a relationship with a community and supporting the people who carry this living tradition,” said Joy Anya Lim, co-founder and managing director of Anthill Fabric Gallery.

Editor’s Note: This press release from Maybank is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.