THE last few days I have been driving around Bicolandia with HABI: The Philippine Textile Council. We have been checking out weaving communities in Bicol, of which very little is heard from in Manila compared to the piña, hablon and the Mindanao and Cordillera weaves. Well, there are weaving communities in Bicol and they are hard at work producing woven artifacts in abaca, piña silk, polyester and jute. Weaving in Bicol is as old as the communities there. There may be less weavers now compared to the past, which is natural considering modernization, ready-to-wear clothes and the new materials being introduced. This has happened elsewhere. But with the new appreciation for handmade products and natural fibers, there is a new perspective that has influenced weaving communities to continue making a living from weaving.