HABI: The Philippine Textile Council
HABI: The Philippine Textile Council
(
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
)
#SDGAction58435
Description
Established in 2009, HABI: The Philippine Textile Council, Inc. is a non-governmental organization that emphasizes the value of cultural identity by striving to preserve the understanding and know-how of Philippine indigenous textiles, while at the same time modernizing the local textile industry. By doing so it aims to help invigorate rural communities, and preserve and raise awareness of cultural heritage. HABI: The Philippine Textile Council, Inc. is tasked to preserve, promote and enhance Philippine textiles through education, communication and research using public and private resources. It envisions a strong Philippine Textile Culture that is vibrant, diverse and very much a part of the modern present.
HABI carries out its mission of preserving, promoting, and innovating Philippine textile traditions through a multi-faceted approach rooted in engagement, education, and collaboration: 1. Visits HABI conducts field visits to weaving communities across the Philippines. These on-site engagements help build direct relationships with artisans, understand their needs, document their practices, and offer tailored support for sustainability and growth. 2. Collaboration The organization actively collaborates with local and international institutions, government agencies, embassies, museums, and designers. These partnerships allow for resource sharing, co-creation of programs, and broader advocacy impact. 3. Fairs Through events like the Likhang HABI Textile Fair, HABI provides a platform for local weavers to showcase and sell their products, connect with markets, and engage with stakeholders. These fairs also serve as educational and promotional spaces for Philippine textiles. 4. Competitions HABI hosts design and weaving competitions to encourage innovation and intergenerational transfer of knowledge, especially among youth. These competitions also help spotlight emerging talent and contemporary applications of traditional techniques. 5. Publishing The Council produces publications, including newsletters, books, and research papers, to document textile heritage and promote cultural awareness. These serve as educational tools and references for scholars, practitioners, and the public. 6. Assists 7. HABI provides direct assistance to weaving communities, which may include financial support, capacity-building workshops, material sourcing, and business mentoring—ensuring that artisan livelihoods are nurtured and sustained. 8. Internships Through it internship program, HABI offers opportunities for students and young professionals to engage in cultural work, research, and community development—thereby fostering future advocates of Philippine textile heritage.
HABI: The Philippine Textile Council sustains and advances its mission of preserving and promoting Philippine weaving traditions through structured and community-focused capacity-building initiatives and technology transfer mechanisms. These include: 1. Community Engagement and On-Site Visits HABI regularly visits weaving communities to provide hands-on guidance, assess needs, and offer support tailored to the specific challenges of each group. This grassroots approach allows for meaningful knowledge exchange and long-term capacity development. 2. Training, Mentoring, and Assistance Programs Through its Assists program, HABI provides technical and financial support for weavers to improve their skills, access raw materials, adopt new techniques, and strengthen their business operations—ensuring both cultural preservation and economic sustainability. 3. Design and Weaving Competitions These events serve as platforms for skill development, innovation, and the transmission of traditional techniques to younger generations. They also motivate artisans to continually evolve their craft while remaining rooted in tradition. 4. Collaborations with Experts and Institutions By partnering with design schools, museums, NGOs, and government agencies, HABI facilitates the transfer of design thinking, research practices, and production innovation to artisans, ensuring that indigenous knowledge evolves with modern relevance. 5. Publishing and Documentation HABI’s publishing efforts—such as the publishing of books, research and newsletters—help preserve valuable weaving knowledge, patterns, and histories. These resources serve as enduring learning material for artisans, scholars, and future generations. 6. Internship Program HABI engages the youth through internships, allowing them to immerse themselves in textile heritage work, community development, and advocacy. This builds a pipeline of future cultural workers and leaders committed to sustaining Philippine textile traditions.
HABI: The Philippine Textile Council is governed by a committee that follows a structured leadership hierarchy. At the top of the organizational framework are the Chairman Emeritus and President Emeritus, roles held by Maria Isabel "Maribel" Ongpin and Adelaida Lim, respectively. These positions are advisory in nature and provide guidance based on institutional knowledge and experience. A Board of Directors is elected every three(3) years. From this Board, the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer positions are decided upon. The Board and elected officials are tasked with the governance and administration of HABI. All Directors contribute to decision-making, policy development, and organizational oversight. This structure ensures that HABI operates through collaborative governance, with clear roles for leadership, advisory input, and administrative support.
One way to measure HABI’s impact is by looking at the growth in the number and scale of our partner vendors and brands. Since we started, we have grown from supporting 10 to 15 small vendors to over 100 brands we are now working with. Many of them started as small or emerging enterprises. Through their continued partnership with HABI, they have significantly expanded their reach. Some have evolved into larger, more established brands with wider networks and customer bases. This growth reflects not only their individual success but also HABI’s role in helping elevate local craftsmanship and connect artisans to broader markets.
ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Trade, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Philippine Textile Research Institute, local non-governmental agencies
SDGS & Targets
Goal 8
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
8.1
8.1.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita
8.2
Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
8.2.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person
8.3
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
8.3.1
Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex
8.4
Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead
8.4.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
8.4.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
8.5
8.5.1
Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
8.5.2
Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
8.6
8.6.1
Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training
8.7
Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
8.7.1
Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age
8.8
Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
8.8.1
Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status
8.8.2
Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status
8.9
By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
8.9.1
Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate
8.10
Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
8.10.1
(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults
8.10.2
Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider
8.a
8.a.1
Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements
8.b
By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization
8.b.1
Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy
Goal 9
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
9.1
9.1.1
Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season road
9.1.2
Passenger and freight volumes, by mode of transport
9.2
Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries
9.2.1
Manufacturing value added as a proportion of GDP and per capita
9.2.2
Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment
9.3
9.3.1
Proportion of small-scale industries in total industry value added
9.3.2
Proportion of small-scale industries with a loan or line of credit
9.4
By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
9.4.1
CO2 emission per unit of value added
9.5
9.5.1
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP
9.5.2
Researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants
9.a
9.a.1
Total official international support (official development assistance plus other official flows) to infrastructure
9.b
9.b.1
Proportion of medium and high-tech industry value added in total value added
9.c
Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020
9.c.1
Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology
Goal 12
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
12.1
Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries
12.1.1
Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production
12.2
By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.2.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
12.2.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
12.3
By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.3.1
(a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
12.4
By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
12.4.1
12.4.2
(a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment
12.5
By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
12.5.1
National recycling rate, tons of material recycled
12.6
Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
12.6.1
12.7
Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
12.7.1
Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and action plans
12.8
By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
12.8.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
12.a
Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
12.a.1
Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)
12.b
Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
12.b.1
Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability
12.c
Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities
12.c.1
Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies (production and consumption) per unit of GDP
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
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Deliverables & Timeline
Sponsor A Weaver Program
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
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Timeline
Entity
Region
- Asia and Pacific
Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
HABI aims to improve the economic conditions of weavers and weaving communities in the Philippines by elevating them from ordinary weavers to entrepreneurs and small business-owners.
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Mia Villanueva, President