All about Banig ☘
~ Inspiration ~
The product started from a “Banig”, a hand-woven mat made from dried sea grass or “Ticog” grass, which grow abundantly in swampy areas along rice fields in one of the provinces in the Philippines.
Banig used for sleeping and sitting has evolved into place mats, wallets, pillow cases and recently to hand bags, back packs and laptop covers.
Each product is a result of weavers and artisans community from the Philippines. Weaving is a genuine treasure handed down as a tradition and is widely practiced in the country.
~ Our Raw Materials ~
Our eco-friendly products are crafted from durable and sustainable raw materials from Ticog, Abaca, Raffia and Pandan. The grass is harvested from the fields, then sun-dried, sorted out according to length, dyed, pressed and flatted, woven and embroidered, crafted and sewed, blow torched and finally, polished or lacquered. Depending on the skills and time of the maker, the tedious process would take around two to five weeks to weave the finished product from its rawest form.
What is Ticog?
Ticog is a special reed grass that grows in swampy areas along the rice fields that acts like a sponge because it can hold higher volumes of water during the rainy season or release moisture to the soil during the dry season.
What is Abaca?
The Abaca comes from a species of banana that is native to the Philippines. It is extracted from the leaf stems of the Manila Help, a self sustaining plant. The Abaca is harvested for its strong versatile fiber for Abaca jute and Abaca twine that can be woven into different products we use today.
What is Raffia?
The Raffia fibre is obtained by peeling of raffia palm leaves. The raffia fibre is soft, pliable, strong, durable, easy to dye and biodegradable making it an excellent material for weaving.
What is Pandan?
Another tropical plant that was discovered to be a good material to create native products.
What is Rattan?
Rattan is a naturally renewable palm found in the Philippine forests and is distributed throughout the country for furniture, handicrafts, building material & accessories among others.
