The Artists of PiΓ±a Fibers
ππ¨π¦ππ§ π¨π ππ’π§Μπ 
ππ©π¦ π’π³π΅πͺπ΄π΅π΄ π°π§ ππͺπ―Μπ’ π§πͺπ£π¦π³π΄
In the π£π’π³π³πͺπ°π΄ of Aklan province in the Philippines, a unique tradition is practiced by women of the community. βπππ£π€ππ πππͺπβ or π¬ππ«ππ©ππ«π¬ are skilled extractors of βπ΄π’π¨-πΆπ΅π°π―β or fine piΓ±a fibers, scraping red Spanish pineapple leaves is the second stage of preparation for weaving PiΓ±a fabric. This delicate process requires a high level of precision and patience, as even the slightest mistake can damage the precious βπ΄π’π¨-πΆπ΅π°π―β. From farm, harvested mature pineapple leaves are brought back home to the scrapers, who are women of the household. Soft and graceful hands are the basic requirements in βπ±π’π¨π¬πͺπ¨πΆπ¦β or scraping, which are only of women. Using only primitive tools like a slab of wood with fine and flat surface as scraping board, broken ceramic, sharpened coconut shell, and clam shell to produce the two layers of βπ΄π’π¨-πΆπ΅π°π―β from a pineapple leaf.
βππ’π΄π΅π°π΄β derived from the Spanish word βππ’π΄π΅π°β which means coarse, are fibers found on the top epidermal layer of pineapple leaf. While βππͺπ―πͺπΈπ’π―β derived from an Aklanon word βππͺπΈπ’π―β or outside, is the finest among the two fibers and found in the lower epidermal layer of pineapple leaf and produced by stripping out. Using broken ceramic, women carefully scrape off the top epidermal layer of pineapple leaf stripping without breaking the Bastos fibers. Using thumb finger, bastos fibers are slowly scratched and pulled out from one end to another of the leaf. Leaf will be scraped again to strip the second and finest fibers using sharpened coconut shell. Pineapple leaf is laid on the flat fine wood is carefully scraped off the second epidermal layer of leaf to expose without breaking the βππͺπ―πͺπΈπ’π―β fibers. Fibers are stripped out of the epidermis by peeling off the back layer of the leaf. Both fibers are manually graded and bundled by a hundred piece per bundle extracted from a hundred leaves of pineapple. PiΓ±a fibers are brought to the river to wash off the remaining epidermis from piΓ±a fibers using a clam shell or βππΆπΈπ’πΊβ. Running water helps untangling the fibers while carefully gliding the clam shell through it to clean the fibers. Drying under the sunlight as a traditional bleaching process keeps the natural light-ivory color of the piΓ±a fibers while drying it. βππ’π¨π΅π’π±π₯π°π΄β or beating the fibers separates the each fibers, making it fine and smooth for weaving. βππ’π΄π΅π°π΄β or coarse fibers are brushed to further separate each fiber from each other while the fine Liniwan fibers are manually separated by hands in the process called βπ±π’π¨π±πͺπ΄πͺβ.
This stage of Pina weaving value chain is a well-conserved practice that has been passed down among women of the community from generations to generations. Government programs like Enhanced School of Living Tradition or ESLT by Senator Loren Legarda and National Commission for Culture and the Arts is of the promising as it encourages the youth of the community to attend a workshop with Cultural Master Raquel during weekend. A transmission of Artform like PiΓ±a weaving to the new generation. Skills training, livelihood programs, and product development among others by PhilFIDA, DOST-PTRI, DTI, DSWD are government initiatives to sustain this intangible cultural heritage and the industry. As women bear the future of the community, their roles continue up to growing the future bearers of cultural heritage and identity of the community.
Happy National Womenβs month to our scrapers!