LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — A plant often dismissed as a nuisance is becoming an unexpected source of income for families in Ilocos Norte.
Members of the Cataban Water Hyacinth Weavers Association are turning water hyacinth into bags, baskets, rugs, planters, coasters and tumbler holders—transforming an abundant local material into products that can be sold in the market.
The livelihood initiative was highlighted on August 13 during an exhibition and live weaving activity at the Robinsons Ilocos Norte Event Center, where 10 members of the association demonstrated their craft.
The event was organized by the Gov. Roque and Manuela Ablan Foundation in partnership with the Laoag City government as part of activities commemorating the 120th birth anniversary of former Governor Roque Ablan Sr.
From nuisance to livelihood
For the Cataban weavers, the biggest change is not simply learning how to weave.
It is learning how to turn that skill into a sustainable source of household income.
Association president Cathy Baided said government assistance and partnerships have helped the group reach more customers and receive bulk orders. Some orders reportedly range from 100 to 600 pieces, giving participating families an additional and more regular income stream.
That shift—from making handicrafts occasionally to producing for actual customers—is crucial for small community enterprises.
It means the value of water hyacinth is no longer limited to its physical material. With training, better designs and access to buyers, the plant can become part of a marketable local product line.
Government agencies are helping push the craft forward
The Cataban group’s development has involved a convergence of government and community partners, including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Laoag City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).
Support has included skills upgrading, product development, livelihood assistance and opportunities to join trade fairs and other market platforms.
The Laoag City government has also funded project-development activities intended to improve product quality and design.
The approach reflects a broader lesson for community-based enterprises: training alone may not be enough. Artisans also need product innovation, exposure, buyers and continued institutional support.
Water hyacinth meets Ilocano weaving tradition
One of the more interesting developments is the combination of water hyacinth with inabel Iloko, the region’s traditional handwoven textile.
According to CSWDO trainer Edna Yapo, the artisans are learning to incorporate inabel into their water-hyacinth products, creating contemporary designs while maintaining links to Ilocano cultural heritage.
The idea connects two seemingly different economic opportunities: environmental-resource utilization and traditional craftsmanship.
It also gives the products a distinctly local identity that could help them stand out in increasingly competitive handicraft markets.
The craft is not entirely new to Ilocos Norte
The Cataban initiative builds on an existing tradition of water-hyacinth handicraft making in the province.
In 2023, the Philippine News Agency reported that members of the Laoag-based Cataban Water Hyacinth Weavers Association were selling novelty products made from water lilies at a city trade fair.
Training efforts have also continued elsewhere in Ilocos Norte.
Mariano Marcos State University reported that 18 water hyacinth weavers from Bacarra underwent enhancement training covering dyeing, finishing, lining and accessorizing products such as coin purses, clutch bags and tissue holders. The program involved MMSU, the LGU of Bacarra, MMSU-Enactus and DTI.
Meanwhile, the Zonta Club of Ilocos Norte previously reported working with the Laoag City government on a water-hyacinth skills and livelihood program in which the Cataban Weaver’s Association taught 30 women how to create products from the plant.
These efforts suggest that water-hyacinth weaving in Ilocos Norte is evolving beyond a one-time livelihood project and toward a continuing community enterprise.
A Philippine livelihood model with an environmental angle
Ilocos Norte’s experience is part of a wider Philippine effort to turn water hyacinth into useful products.
The Department of Science and Technology has previously supported water-hyacinth processing and handicraft communities elsewhere in the country. DOST’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute, for example, developed a water-hyacinth dryer and provided technical assistance and training to livelihood groups producing handicrafts from the plant.
That matters because processing the aquatic plant properly is essential to producing consistent and usable material for handicrafts.
For communities like Cataban, the opportunity therefore goes beyond simply finding something to weave.
The bigger challenge is building a reliable chain—from sourcing and processing the raw material to design, production, quality control, marketing and repeat orders.
The real test comes after the showcase
The latest exhibition may have put the Cataban weavers in front of more customers, but the bigger question is whether that exposure can translate into sustained demand.
Bulk orders of hundreds of pieces are an encouraging sign. But maintaining that momentum will require consistent product quality, dependable supply, competitive pricing, improved designs and continued access to markets.
For now, however, the transformation is already visible.
What was once regarded primarily as an environmental nuisance is being repositioned as a raw material for locally made products and an additional source of income for Ilocos Norte families.
And if the Cataban weavers can continue turning skills, local resources and market access into repeat business, water hyacinth may prove to be more than just an unwanted plant—it could become another small but meaningful thread in the province’s growing livelihood and creative economy.
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