In celebration of the Philippine Tropical Fabric (PTF) Month, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) encouraged government agencies to wear uniforms made from the country's tropical fabrics.

In an interview with Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Thursday, Jan. 4, DOST-Philippine Textile Research Institute Director Julius Leaño Jr. explained that Republic Act 9242 established the PTF to raise awareness about the use of locally sourced and manufactured fabric for uniforms.

"We are raising that awareness through PTF month celebration, which is January, and by raising the awareness, we hope all government agencies will readily be able to wear something locally made already," said Leaño.

"The one that makes it a little bit more unique is as well the proposition that all of them were locally developed. It means that science, technology, and innovation were maximized in the country," he added.

Innovation, inclusivity

Leaño also acknowledged the farmers and rural weavers as the "pillars" of the initiative of DOST, as it was not only about art or culture but also about economics.

"We should be all together in Bagong Pilipinas, and we should include our farmers all the way to our creativity," he said.

Moreover, with the celebration's theme, "Spinning Innovations,” Leaño emphasized the significance of exerting collective efforts to innovate without losing "cultural touch."

"How can you create a long thread out of small staples? You spin it. And when you spin it, there's strength, the character, and that's exactly what we want this initiative to have, that we are able to spin our efforts together and make a very good proposition. That's why we continuously spin innovations," he said.

Cost of fabric products

Leaño urged the public to be patient with the industry, which is just getting back up and will normalize as production increases.