LGUs urged to craft ordinances protecting local hand-woven textiles

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) on Wednesday urged local government units (LGUs) to create an ordinance that would protect cultural expression in their respective jurisdictions.

NCIP Director Maria Grace Pascua made the statement during the 2026 National Textile Convention at the Philippine International Convention Center.

She pointed out that this would help indigenous peoples preserve their crafts and culture.

“We encourage them (LGUs) to come up with ordinances for the protection of cultural expressions, tangible and intangible, para matulungan ang community,” Pascua said during a panel discussion.

She also called for the government’s aid in implementing policies protecting the IP’s rights. NCIP has identified 3,700 IP organizations nationwide.

Reden Ulo, head of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) sub-commission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts, shared the same sentiments and pointed out that collaborations help protect local textiles.

“One way to protect or respect them is to do collaborations from the national agencies, different national agencies, especially policymakers, and to the local communities,” he said.

In June 2025, 2025 the Mountain Province local government banned the manufacture, sale, and distribution of machine-made reproductions of indigenous woven textiles and products through Provincial Ordinance No. 573. Violators may face confiscation of items and cancellation of business permits. — BAP, GMA Integrated News