Mat-weavers and their colorful banig-made stylis products

The mat weavers of Barangay Basiao, Basey Samar doing their crafts and colorful banig-made products inside the Saob Cave. (Photo by Spark Samar)

Indigenous Items making a huge comeback in Basey town

INDIGENOUS products are making a huge comeback in Basey, Samar, Philippines in the industry of native accessories and even in household products.

To recall, this once a swampy town, located some 35 minutes drive from Tacloban City, was one of the Eastern Visayas towns hit by 1-15 meter high storm surges brought by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in November 2013, and consequently destroyed its houses and main livelihood - Bamboo and Mats.

"We want to bring it back! We live in a town which holds the Guinness Book Records of Longest Mat-weaved in history."

To date, with or without aid from government and non-government groups, mat weavers showed resiliency in getting back on its feet again.

This is what Samar’s Novelty & Souvenirs – Tikog Mats have proven with thin smooth woven native bags, backpacks, home accessories made from wild grass quickly became very popular and numerous orders came in.

The SNS-TM had to find a way to hold on to the growing demand of the market. Fellow mat weavers in town were tapped, new innovations were introduced. We also go online!

Floor and Table Place Mats in various sizes good for office and home use (Price Range P350 - P1,100)

Beach Bag 1; Available in Various Designs (SNS-TM) (Price P1,500)

LOCAL mat weavers in town who suffered major backlash on their livelihood during the 2013 occurrence of the super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) are now trying to get back on its feet.

Mat-weavers spent hours and even days to finish one set of embroidered sleeping mats (Photo by RJB)

During those sad days, many lives were lost including their main source of livelihood when waves (Storm Surges) stricken their houses and flattened their farmlands.

In my visit yesterday, however, I noticed that many of the mat-weavers are now backed to caves and cold rooms to continue their crafts amid slow support from the government. While some native stores had opened up and displayed again their mat-inspired products, still, many of them failed to re-open.

Colorful Tikog and Buri Materials

Lucky for those who have sought and availed livelihood aid from the government and non-government groups, they’re now backed to business. Many of these establishments have joined local and national trade fairs showcasing their crafts, and perhaps boasting their strong resiliency.

For the Samar’s Novelty and Souvenirs (Online Showroom), who have consistently blogging, promoting, and selling local products, tries to innovate and introduced not only the banig products, but also some souvenirs that are made of bamboo – the forgotten industry in town.

Beach Bag 2 otherwise known as Traveler's Mat (Trav-A-Mat)

In the early days, Banig – a handwoven made made from an indigenous reed named tikog (Fimbristylis Utilis) – is usually used (only) for floor covering used by the natives to sleep on. But as time passed by, many innovations were made and immediately catch the attention of world markets.

The SNS Online Showroom, for example, has successfully produced the following items for local and global selling; Native Bags, Throw Pillows, Place Mats, Framed Art Works, Modern Wall Panels, Furniture Mattings, Banig Slippers, Clothings, Wallets, Stool Box (Multi-purpose box), Cell Pouches, Sling Pouches, Fruit Tray, Bread Tray, Laptop Sleeves, Clutch Bags, Coin Purses, Trav-A-Mat (Travelling Bag), Beach Bags, Banig-Wrapped Glass Candle Holder, Banig-Bamboo Candle Holder, Table Runners, and many others.

Bamboo Candle Holder; Available Item has banig circling the bamboo instead of abaka rope

Bamboo Candle Holder 2: (This will be designed with banig instead of abaca fiber)

Sample photo of Beach Bag 2 (Travelers’ Mat). (photo credits from travamat.com)

Coloful Banig Throw Pillows

Cell Phone Bags (P200)

Coloful Banig Bags (Price Range P550 - P950)

Stool Box or Multi-purpose boxes (1 set or per piece)

Banig Slippers (Price Range P60 - P80)

Sinamay Banig (Available Sizes: Single - 1x2m; Double-1.20x2m; and Family-1.60x2m)

For your reference, here below photos of some items posted above. No copyright infringement intended. Most photos are MINE but some are sent by clients as sample of their desired orders.

For those interested to purchase, RETAIL or WHOLESALE or EXPORT, you may contact the SNS Online Showroom at CP No. (+63) 915-2553-917 or email us @ trexpelunker@yahoo.com. You may also check our FB page Samar’s Novelty & Souvenirs- TikOg Mats or this blogsite www.banigonline.blogspot.com for our regular crafts.

Check on-hand items and its corresponding prices by texting or PM or call.

RESELLERS are welcome! The more items you purchase, the cheaper rate you gets!

Please bear with us, something exciting things are happening!

Dear valued clients,

AFTER more than four sad years of trying to revive this site, still, we are downed. We couldn't retrieve the site's "password" after someone hacked us and changed its content.

But God is good all the time.

Now, we are back to online again. Now on, we will again post some updates on our latest innovation on native items made of tikog banig. To catch up those years, we will also put one-by-one our previous photos and transactions for your updates.

Thanks & More Power!

Native Footwear Online