The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has given the green light to the establishment of the P40-million Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center (RYPIC) in Cagayan Valley.
The approval of the RYPIC project is part of the DOST Inclusive Innovation Textiles Empowering Lives Anew (i2TELA) program, led by the DOST-Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI).
"This innovative project is a microscale yarn spinning facility which aims to produce crafted yarns from different blends of natural textile fibers like abaca, banana and pineapple leaf, in combination with cotton,” the DOST said in a statement on Thursday, May 20.
Currently, the DOST-PTRI in Taguig City houses the main innovation center.
"The establishment of the said facility in the Northern Luzon corridor will serve as the pipeline to spur further development of the local textile industry in the region and add technical support to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in this sector,” the DOST said.
DOST-II Regional Director Sancho A. Mabborang described the center as "a pride of the North” and must be shared for the benefit of the entire country.
“The principles and philosophy of Northern Luzon is to share what we have with each other. In this fete, we will be including Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), Research Institutions, stakeholders and other regions in the north,” he said.
DOST-PTRI Director Celia B. Elumba said the setting up of the innovation facility has environmental, cultural impact, and economic significance for the country.
She expressed the DOST-PTRI’s readiness to serve an offsite campus to help assist, train and develop champions in the textile industry, even as she recommended the creation of a program that will identify counterpart ‘master weavers’ in the region.
The RYPIC is expected to be established in Isabela State University (ISU) Ilagan.
The ISU Ilagan welcomed the creation of the center, saying that it is expected to further strengthen its banner program on textile production and innovation as well as its new curricular offering on textile engineering.
ISU President Dr. Ricmar Aquino pledged his all-out support for the success of the project through their S&T activities that will help the government devise and execute programs to support the local textile industry.
The Cagayan State University Gonzaga campus, the leading provider of bamboo and bamboo products in the region, also rallied behind the establishment of the RYPIC.
The educational institution will serve as one of the emerging providers of bamboo raw materials that can be used in the RYPIC, the DOST said.
CSU Gonzaga chief executive officer (CEO) Dr. Froilan Pacris said they are committed to continue exploring the development of bamboo-based agroforestry.
The DOST said research and development (R&D) facility will not only promote tourism and yarn production in Cagayan Valley, but it will also provide a huge benefit to the region’s disaster risk reduction management efforts.
"Establishing a bamboo plantation will help in the control of erosion and flooding in the Cagayan Valley region which is known to be a flood-prone area,” it said.