BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, April 30 (PIA) — Officials of the Department of Trade and Industry(DTI) will be collaborating with loom weavers here in order to present their products in local and international markets.

This year, loom weavers in the upland town of Kayapa are expected to attend the five–day China ‘Expo’ in September this year to showcase their local products and discover links to the international market.

“With this exposure, they can learn new technologies and skills to further improve their art and industry as a whole thereby enabling them to produce quality products,” said Ellerie Ramel, information officer of the Department of Trade and Industry(DTI).

She said loom weavers in Kayapa need to learn more techniques to integrate variations in their products, a quality that will best suit the demand of the international market.

Ramel said funding requirements for the establishment of a training and trading center are being worked out in collaboration with the local government unit to expand the promotion of the product even in the local market.

The Kayapa Loom Weavers Association(KLWA) was formed in 2009 after the DTI assisted the members through training and the provision of the needed equipment and facilities in order to revive the long-forgotten art and industry of the Igorots.

At present, the local government unit of Kayapa has included the art and industry as one of the eco-cultural tourism attractions which will be further reinforced with the expansion of the trade in other cultural areas of Nueva Vizcaya.