UPV opens textile gallery featuring Panay clothing heritage

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By Marjune N. Muzones

Highlighting the rich history and artistry of clothing, the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) led by its Office of Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA) opened the “Panapton Gallery” at the Lozano Hall, UPV Iloilo City Campus Main Building on June 27, 2022.

It is one of the various exhibits dedicated to cultural heritage and the arts managed by OICA at the UPV Museum Complex. It features various textiles and fabrics produced from different localities in Panay and showcases history, shaping how the islanders cover themselves for protection, identity, and self-expression.

“This is very much a part of our vision to develop the city campus as a heritage hub. As a heritage hub, it is only proper that it would have facilities like this and of course, it would have exhibits that feature the textile tradition of not just Iloilo but Panay,” Dr. Clement C. Camposano, UPV Chancellor said in his message.

Panapton Gallery presents pieces of mostly embroidered clothing such as Barong, Kimona, Patadyong, Panyal (baptismal garments), Traje De Mestiza (mestiza gowns), and traditional Panay-Bukidnon costumes among many others. They are made using different materials such as hablon, sinamay, cotton, and piña fibers.

“It simply shows that we Ilonggos, Filipinos, and human beings in general are very creative in creating fibers that they can convert into textiles. Basically, even with less technological advancements at that time, they were able to create beautiful fabrics and I think that’s a credit to their generation,” Prof. Martin G. Genodapa, UPV-OICA Director and head curator of the gallery said.

Pieces at the exhibit came from the collection of the Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS) and those donated or loaned by private collectors and entities.

According to Dr. Randy M. Madrid, CWVS Director, the gallery emphasizes our rich textile culture that continues to persist and starting to penetrate current fashion circles especially in the field of pageantry.

“Exhibitions like this are not only for the preservation of the material, but also for the popularization of the tradition. The younger generation can appreciate the attires of people in the past. Culture is not static and here we can see the evolution of our clothing and highlight the fact that once upon a time, Iloilo was hailed as the “Textile Capital” of the Philippines,” Dr. Madrid added.

The Curatorial Team of the Panapton Gallery is spearheaded by Prof. Martin Genodapa, together with Dr. Randy Madrid, Dr. Alicia Magos, Prof. Jose Taton, Ms. Anna Razel Ramirez, and Mr. Sashah Dioso.

Galleries at the UPV Museum Complex are open to the public during weekdays, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, requiring proper compliance to COVID-19 health protocols.