Latagaw Diaries: Basey Banig

A 30-minute ride away from Tacloban, just across the San Juanico Bridge is a small seaside town known as Basey. Basey means beautiful and truly this place will charm you.

First stop is its century old church that sits on top of a hill. I wonder how many eggs were used to glue this church altogether...

This is Jose Rizal's park. I think Jose Rizal is overdressed with his coat etc for the Philippines warm climate. He would have looked better in barong tagalog or kamiso chino like Bonifacio. His European get up makes him cold and distant.

 Just a stone's throw away from the park is a small shop that makes and sells banigs and other items made of banigs. At the back of their shop are women busy embroidering mats and men gluing and sewing bags.

The women buy the mats or banig made from tikog from the people living in the Golden River. However, since it is planting season right now, the mat delivery has been few and slow. 

These are the dyed buri that the embroiderers use when executing designs on the banig or mat.

These banigs are fashioned into bags, clutches, wallets, purses and a lot more.

We went to an old house that leans at an angle, climbed up to the second floor. It was beautiful up there.

Here are sample products:

3-in-1 boxes. You can sit on them and store some things inside.

More storage boxes with soft cushions.

Bags.

Bags again.

Table runners on the ground. More mats at the back and bags hanging on the ceiling.

Colorful family sized mat for the beach, for picnic or for your home.

Coin purse.