The town of Luisiana in Laguna is known as the home of pandan products.

John Carlo Lorbis, an educator based in Luisiana, has partnered with the local government to advance the ‘Project Pandan’ in his lessons. 

The project started as an advocacy program of the Supreme Student Ccuncil of the San Isidro Elementary School which aims to immerse students to their culture, tradition and values, guided by the ‘Maka-kalikasan’ core values of the Department of Education (DepEd).

“It started as an advocacy of the Supreme Student Council of San Isidro Elementary School in Luisiana as we are encouraged to provide projects anchored to 4 Core Values of DepEd. We focused on ‘Maka-kalikasan’ and integrate the importance of our product and available resources, which is pandan,” Lorbis said in Philippine Information Agency’s Usapang PIA program.

He further explained: “We incorporate our tradition to the ‘Makakalikasan’ core value of DepEd, we plan strategies and work on communities through the help of Luisiana LGU to renew the culture and tradition in our town in the heart of the youths.”

Students visit a main pandan plantation for their community immersion to witness the process on how pandan handicrafts are made.

The school also observes ‘Pandan Day’ every Friday where students bring pandan leaves to schools to weave that they may sell for extra income.

Handicrafts made of pandan are called ‘balulang’ or ‘bayong’, sambalilo and ‘banig’ or mat which is done within 20 minutes depending on the size with price ranging from 20 to 30 pesos.

Lorbis said that the support of the local government is vital for the success of the program. 

“Local government plays a big role in support, especially when we conduct a community immersion, they serve as our partners in providing help to the youth on how they can extend Project Pandan,” he explained.

The local government of Luisiana expressed its whole-hearted support to the initiative, as they know that pandan-weaving in their town has been classified as a “‘sunset” or dying industry. 

On their part, the town implements advocacies aimed for all public and private schools in Luisiana.

“Based on our study here in Luisiana, pandan weaving industry is classified in the sunset industry meaning there’s a possibility that the culture will die in the next generation, that is why we are making efforts with the help of public and private schools in our town to teach their students at least how to weave pandan,” Rhea Osinar, Tourism Officer of Luisiana said.

Osinar remains optimistic that the young people of Luisiana would carry on their pandan-weaving culture and tradition, particularly now that the studying of the craft is eyed for a local legislation.

“We have talked about enacting a pandan protection ordinance here in our town where Project Pandan can be implemented not only in the schools I teach but also in all the public schools here in Luisiana. With the help of the elected officials, I hope they will back up the ordinance that will be followed and taken effect in the future,” Lorbis said.

The two call for their fellow Luisianahin and Lagunense to promote their craft that was once the primary source of income for their humble town. (AM/PIA-4A)

Usapang PIA is a weekly radio program by the Philippine Information Agency Laguna, streaming live every Friday, 11:00am-11:30am on DZJV 1458 kHz Radyo Calabarzon and Philippine Information Agency CALABARZON and PIA Laguna Facebook pages.