The textile industry is one of the major contributors to the global economy where the Philippines earns about 16% by foreign exchange. It was a major foreign exchange source and was next to electronics but in the mid-1990s, it slowly started to decline.
Waving or textiles has a vast history and it has its authenticity in making designs with the art culture and representation.
Textile was not the work but had an important role in the lives of Filipinos. It can be considered the identifier of their social rank, during weeding times for rich bride costumes and a traditional aspect offered to ask for rain. Along with this happy function celebration they even use it during the times of funeral ceremonies to wrap the dead body and in other rituals. Hence it is an emotion and pride that is carried throughout their daily lives.
In this article, let us discover a woman entrepreneur from the Philippines who, along with representing the country’s culture has also been successful in business and creating employment.
Noreen Bautista: CEO and Co-founder
Noreen Marian Bautista is an innovative and goal-oriented entrepreneur who has the aim of upholding the pride of culture and tradition. She bought up the city called Iloilo which is well-known and famous for the textile in Philippines. She studied at Philipines Science High School and holds a degree of B.Sc in Management from Ateneo de Manila University. She is a graduate with a Master of Science in Innovation and Business from the Asian Institute of Management. She also has a certification from the Global Innovation Management Institute as an innovation Professional. Noreen Bautista an entrepreneur who established startups in 2010, has also worked with academe, government agencies, local government bodies, and corporations.
The main motto behind the start of the company was the handloom weaver, who were around 60,000, and the economy associated with the textile industry. Accounting to her interest and heritage she started her company called Panubix in the year 2021. This aims to connect different bands and designers to collaborate with local handlooms, weavers, and craftsmen to enhance their culture through fashion and tactile industry.
Her incredible thought of avoiding fossil- fuels and adopting decarbonization for the textile design practice has made her way to serving around 100 designers from the Philippines, the US, and Europe. In the textile industry not only, design is important but the fabric we use also matters equally, Panubix makes use of regenerative fabrics and has replaced 200+ Kg of polyester. She has created around 284+ jobs and contains a minimum of 80% women. Noreen Bautista is also recognized by Tatler Asia as a GenT Honoree in 2023.
Brief about Panubix
Panubix is a platform and a marketplace that helps connect brands and designers to traditional textiles and craftsmen to create a sustainable lifestyle for their customers. Panubix has a vision of enhancing the economy of the textile industry and artisan craft by making fashion and clothing more culture and diversity-oriented and hence bringing sustainability to lifestyle by 2030.
The mission of Panubix is to uphold the culture, biodiversity, and, humanity with their innovative mission that will showcase Kultura’t, Kapwa’t, and Kalikasan in the design. It also has a mission of creating traditional fashion with a global mindset which can be achieved with continuous learning and upgradation. One has the availability to shop through their website which has products like yarns, cotton fabric, materials, etc.
Panubix has artisans’ associations and groups that have helped them in scaling the business and attracting the consumer with their uniqueness in design. Some to be mentioned are the Cabayogan Women Loom Weavers Association, Baraclayan Weaver Association, IPMPC, and Salngan Livelihood Multipurpose Cooperative (SLMC). As mentioned, material is an essential part that needs a special focus hence Panubix will take measures at every step to avoid mistakes. It takes the raw materials from local farmers and produces the materials. It produces the fabric from pineapple, abaca, etc.
Sustainability is an essential part that needs to be achieved in all businesses the avoidance of fossil fuels and the production of fabrics with regenerative properties will help in the long run. Hence this innovative idea of using the decarbonization process can be business growth and customer satisfaction.