Samar Lovin’
Almost five years ago, Super Typhoon Yolanda devastated the province of Samar with a magnitude like no other. Its strength whipped up the province, completely destroying Samar’s agricultural industry. Samar was crippled, so to speak, making it one of the poorest provinces in the country.
But the Samarnons are known for their resilience. No amount of calamity can dampen their vision for progress and hope for a better tomorrow.
Through the years, financial assistance from various sectors have given optimism and drive for the Samarnons to start anew. Today, the province has turned the tables and is taking a visionary direction to weave the future of its people forward. By reviving the banig (handwoven mat made of dried leaves), a revolution unfolds under the brand name Lara, which had a soft launch recently at SM Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall.
Lara, which means “to weave” in the Waray dialect, is a project under Spark Samar (the tourism arm of the province) created by Gov. Sharee Ann Tan. The project aims to revive the art of weaving, to provide sustainable livelihood to the weavers and to create contemporary products to showcase in both local and international markets. The vision is to elevate the banig beyond its souvenir and decorative appeal into fashion pieces such as bags, shoes, accessories, etc. The overall idea behind it is really to explore and maximize the potential of the banig in a variety of creations that will create sustainable livelihood for the Samarnons. Furthermore, the project encourages the participation of the youth in the province to keep their interest in constantly reinventing the banig in contemporary forms so the young ones will have their stake in preserving the art of weaving.
The future of Lara is hopeful as the drive towards progressive development through a fashion and lifestyle handle has gotten the province of Samar excited. Its first campaign was shot against Samar’s breathtaking and panoramic destinations like the Sohoton Caves, the centuries-old St. Michael the Archangel Church, the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park in Basey, Ulot River in Paranas, the Catbalogan Capitol and the iconic San Juanico Bridge.
Pop-ups and trunk shows in Manila are already set to present Lara in the weeks to come. Add to this the exclusive and limited edition collections that are already in the works.
Samar is making a comeback this season and is ready to flood our wardrobes with must-have banig pieces.
It is also timely for the global scene as handmade artisan pieces are currently on trend and the toast in fashion. Weaving dry leaves will definitely come a long way as it evolves forward in these changing times. The past, present and future are all rolled into one as Samar rises.