Hail the weavers!

Dry season and super hot? Siete Colores got you covered. 

Anahaw fan-making is one of the oldest home industries in Lopez, Quezon. The forests of the town are replete with anahaw plant Levistonia Rotundifolia or Saribus rotundifolius which are made into different products, abaniko or anahaw fans among the major ones. More than 56 of the 95 barangays in the municipality have fan-weavers. Many families had sent their children to schools and universities out of the income from selling fans locally known as pamaypay. Many others had their houses built by earning from anahaw. 

This special feature aims to honor the women and mothers who have kept local economy afloat by keeping this cultural product around for more than a hundred years. Their passion and dedication have literally and figuratively fanned the flame of success that makes the municipality the go-to place for all kinds of anahaw fans. One of the most sought-after are called siete colores, as it is has strands of seven different colors woven harmoniously into a beautiful work of art. The local weavers are already considered experts on the craft and they teach the young ones in their communities so as not to lose this profitable tradition. 

Fans have many other uses. They are especially useful for decorating on events and give-away on various occasions. If we want cultural products to be preserved, we have to innovate and make use of it by creating different designs. Let us support the talents of our womenfolk in barangays. It can open possibilities that we have never imagined.