HABI: The Philippine Textile Council Inc.

What HABI: The Philippine Textile Council Inc. does

HABI: The Philippine Textile Council, Inc. is a non-governmental organization established in 2009 in the Philippines, focused on preserving, promoting, and enhancing Philippine textiles through education, communication, and research. The organization operates as a volunteer-led council governed by a board including President Ma. Milagros "Mia" Villanueva, Chairman Emeritus Maria Isabel Ongpin, and President Emeritus Adelaida Lim, with operations coordinated from Taguig City and event activity centered in Makati City.

HABI's core products and programs form an integrated ecosystem around Philippine handloom weaving. The flagship commercial/community event is the annual Likhang HABI Market Fair at Glorietta and One Ayala in Makati, hosting 100+ artisans including ASEAN-region weaving groups, alongside the Lourdes Montinola Piña Weaving Competition (now in its 9th year) and the Eloisa Hizon Gomez Abaca Weaving Competition (5th year). Educational and content products include four published books (HABI: A Journey, RARA, Weaving Ways, HABI GIRLS, Piña Futures), the Threaded Traditions documentary series (produced with Mahalina Foundation, SOAS University of London, and Museum Foundation of the Philippines), and the Kwentong Kultura lecture series. The HABI Trail initiative maps nine major weaving regions across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and the Vendor Directory provides a discovery layer for 26+ vetted artisan brands.

The business model is hybrid and donation-driven. Revenue streams comprise membership donations (recurring), book publications sold via a Shopify storefront at ₱600–₱1,000 per title, general donations in ₱500/₱1,500/₱5,000 tiers, market fair vendor participation fees, ₱200 lecture fees, and grants from institutional partners including TELUS, SM Investments, the British Council, and Forest Foundation Philippines. HABI serves four primary customer segments: indigenous weaving communities (skills training, market access, IP protection via IPOPHL), textile enthusiasts and the general public, home and fashion brands sourcing artisan products, and international buyers accessing Philippine textiles. Strategic execution is anchored by partnerships with DOST-PTRI (technical training, design development), TESDA (Handloom Weaving NC II certification), PhilFIDA (fiber grading), IPOPHL (industrial design filings), and LGU Panganiban (community infrastructure), with regulatory milestones including the UNESCO inscription of Aklan Piña Handloom Weaving and Mountain Province Ordinance No. 573 (2025) banning machine-made reproduction of indigenous textiles.

Name

HABI: The Philippine Textile Council Inc.

Legal name

HABI: The Philippine Textile Council, Inc.

Website

https://habiphilippinetextilecouncil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HABI: The Philippine Textile Council is a Philippine non-governmental organization, established in 2009, that preserves and promotes indigenous handloom weaving through market fairs, publications, training programs, and a Vendor Directory serving 100+ artisan communities, fashion brands, and international buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Textile Advocacy

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (459130)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Weaving & Loom Supplies Retail (CRALADAL)

Keywords

• Textile preservation
• Handloom weaving
• Indigenous textiles
• Artisan development
• Cultural heritage advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Taguig City

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Donations: Annual membership donations providing access to newsletters, HABI events, vendor directory, and collaboration opportunities in advocacy programs.
2. Publications Sales: Sale of published books on Philippine textiles including HABI: A Journey through the Philippines Handwoven Textiles (₱700), RARA: The Art and Tradition of Mat Weaving (₱1,000), Weaving Ways Book, HABI GIRLS (₱600), and Piña Futures - Weaving Memories and Innovations.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations in amounts of ₱500, ₱1,500, or ₱5,000 to support weavers and outreach programs.
4. Market Fair Participation: Vendor participation fees and exhibition space rental at Likhang HABI Market Fair events.
5. Lecture Fees: P200 fee per lecture for Kwentong Kultura: HABI Lectures during market fair events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HABI preserves, promotes, and enhances Philippine textiles through education, communication, and research. The organization runs the annual Likhang HABI Market Fair, weaving competitions (piña and abaca), training programs with DOST-PTRI and TESDA, publishes books and documentaries on Philippine textiles, operates the HABI Trail community mapping initiative, and maintains a Vendor Directory connecting artisan weavers with buyers.

Product overview

HABI: The Philippine Textile Council is a non-governmental organization established in 2009 that preserves, promotes, and enhances Philippine textiles through education, communication, and research. The organization operates as a membership-based council offering multiple interconnected programs and products: annual Likhang HABI Market Fair events featuring competitions (Lourdes Montinola Piña Weaving Competition and Eloisa Hizon Gomez Abaca Weaving Competition), educational resources including the Threaded Traditions documentary series and published books (HABI: A Journey, RARA, Weaving Ways, HABI GIRLS, Piña Futures), the HABI Trail community mapping initiative, a Vendor Directory connecting buyers with artisan weavers, Kwentong Kultura lecture series, membership program, donation support, and infrastructure projects like the Abaca Weaving Center in Panganiban. The organization also runs the Sponsor A Weaver program and provides training in partnership with DOST-PTRI and TESDA-accredited centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Likhang HABI Market Fair: Annual textile market fair showcasing handwoven products from different regions and ethnic groups in the Philippines.
• Lourdes Montinola Piña Weaving Competition
• Eloisa Hizon Gomez Abaca Weaving Competition
• Kwentong Kultura: HABI Lectures
• Sponsor A Weaver

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ artisans provided market access annually at Likhang HABI Market Fair
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• DOST-PTRI (Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Textile Research Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOST-PTRI provides technical expertise and training programs for weaving communities, including advanced handloom weaving instruction, loom equipment provision, and design development. Conducted training in Catanduanes and supports IPOPHL industrial design applications.
• Mahalina FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Threaded Traditions documentary series covering Philippine weaving traditions. Mahalina Foundation produces documentaries while HABI provides textile expertise and community connections. Also operates cotton farm in Calatagan supporting local farming and textile industries.
• TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTESDA officially certified Raquel's Piña Cloth Product (RPCP) as an accredited Training and Assessment Center for Aklan Piña Weaving under Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Certificate of TVET Program Registration (CTPR), delivering Handloom Weaving NC II.
• PhilFIDA (Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts GAP (Good Agricultural Practices), cultivation, stripping, and fiber grading training for abaca weavers in Catanduanes, supporting sustainable fiber production and quality improvement.
• DTI Catanduanes (Department of Trade and Industry)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Abaca Weaving Center Project in Panganiban, providing business development support and market access assistance for weaver communities.
• LGU Panganiban (Local Government Unit)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partnership supporting the Abaca Weaving Center Project, including construction of permanent weaving center facility and ongoing community development programs.
• Nooks Manufacturing International Corp.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborated with HABI on first hand-spinning project in Oton, Iloilo, conducting workshop on hand-spinning of cotton to teach and promote local fiber production.
• Museum Foundation of the PhilippinesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced Threaded Traditions: Textiles of Panay Island documentary in association with SOAS University of London.
• SOAS University of LondonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Threaded Traditions documentary series, providing research expertise and international academic credibility for documentation of Philippine textile traditions.
• Museo PambatamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on international textile exhibitions including KatHABI't Ugnayan at Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts celebrating 50 years of Philippines-Jordan diplomatic relations.
• IPOPHL (Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with DOST-PTRI to register industrial designs for indigenous weaving patterns, protecting community-based designs from unauthorized reproduction and commercial use.
• UP Diliman Culture Bearers-in-Residence ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration presenting HALONG exhibition on Patadyong and Panubok weaving traditions from Iloilo, bringing master weavers into university setting for cultural transmission.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco: Peruvian nonprofit that preserves Andean weaving traditions through education, community programs, and documentation. Comparable because it operates an analogous NGO model focused on indigenous textile preservation, weaving community training, and cultural heritage education in a specific national context.
• Nest: US-based nonprofit dedicated to artisan preservation, providing artisan-built home goods marketplace and maker support. Comparable because it operates a curated artisan vendor marketplace (analogous to HABI's Vendor Directory), connects traditional craftspeople with modern buyers, and is funded through donations and grants.
• Dastkar: Indian NGO that supports traditional craftspeople through market access, skills training, and design interventions. Comparable as a peer craft-preservation NGO working with artisan communities on livelihood sustainability, market exposure, and capacity building, with a similar nonprofit funding model.

Emerging players

• Museo Pambata: Philippine children's museum and cultural education institution that has co-organized international textile exhibitions with HABI. Comparable because it operates as a Philippine cultural-education nonprofit and collaborates with HABI on international exhibitions like KatHABI't Ugnayan at the Jordan National Gallery.

Broad incumbents

• Handloom Export Promotion Council of India: Indian government body promoting handloom textile exports through market access and policy support. Comparable as a larger institutional player operating in the same handloom/heritage textile space, providing export market facilitation analogous to HABI's Likhang HABI Market Fair and vendor directory.
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA): Philippine government agency that certifies technical vocational programs. Comparable because TESDA accredits HABI-affiliated training centers (e.g., RPCP for Aklan Piña Weaving NC II) and provides the formal certification framework that anchors HABI's livelihood programs.
• Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI): Government R&D institute under the Department of Science and Technology that conducts textile research, training, and design development in the Philippines. Directly comparable because HABI's core training programs (Panganiban Advanced Handloom Weaving) and industrial design IP filings are delivered through DOST-PTRI as a core strategic partner.
• Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA): Government agency under the Department of Agriculture that develops the natural fiber industry. Comparable because PhilFIDA provides upstream fiber supply training (abaca cultivation, stripping, grading) that feeds HABI-affiliated weaving communities in Catanduanes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/habifair
• Facebookfacebook.com/442332819146592
• Instagraminstagram.com/habifair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/habi-the-philippine-textile-council-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HABI: The Philippine Textile Council Inc.