Iloilo-based women’s group produces bobbin lace items for pope’s Leyte visit

When Pope Francis leads a Mass at Tacloban City in Leyte on Saturday, he will be using items with bobbin lace, made by a women's group based in Iloilo.

 

The Women United Through Handcrafted Lace and Embroidery (WUTHLE) also embroidered the pope's coat-of-arms on the back of the seat he will use, GMA Iloilo reported.

 

Needless to say, the group based in Santa Barbara town feels blessed for the opportunity, according to a report by GMA Iloilo's Vangio Robles and Jason Gregorio.

 

Aside from the seat embroidery, the group also embroidered the Mass set that includes the purificator, corporal and hand towel.

 

"(F)or example sa bobbin lace, the only in the Philippines, kami lang ang gumagawa niyan. So, kung doon siguro sa Belgium i-oorder, hindi marahil kakayaning tapusin in a span of time. Compared na kung dito lang... Pareho lang naman yung steps sa paggawa at maging ang quality," said WUTHLE supervisor Suzzette Villan.

 

Villan also said they were "overwhelmed" when they realized they would produce something the Pope would use during his visit.

 

Last November, the group was commissioned to produce the bobbin lace embroidery for Pope Francis' seat at the Mass.

 

"Dahil ito talaga ay gagamitin, siyempre ang lahat ay nagtulong-tulong para tapusin yun," she said.

 

She also said they are happy that her group was chosen to produce the embroidery work.

 

"Siyempre nasiyahan kami na kami ang napiling gumawa para sa Santo Papa dahil kung kayo ang napili, parang blessed rin kayo na ang pinaka-importante na tao sa buong mundo, kami yung napiling gumawa ng upuan niya," she said. — Joel Locsin/VC, GMA News