When Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo, fondly referred to as VP Leni, assumed the Vice Presidency in 2016, her vision of what governance should be was straightforward: walang maiiwan sa laylayan—no one is to be left behind on the fringes. That left a mark among Filipinos, and it was proven to be not a mere campaign slogan. From socio-economic projects to pandemic response, the Office of the Vice President under VP Leni proved to be more than efficient in delivering services to the people especially to those on the fringes. When the term of VP Leni ended in 2022 after a failed attempt at the presidency, the dream for an inclusive human development did not end, and Angat Buhay Foundation was born.

Angat Buhay was founded with the main goal of continuing the poverty alleviation programs started under the tenure of VP Leni. Aligning ourselves with the former vice president’s vision of inclusive progress and development for the country, it was a pleasant surprise when we found out that our next destination in Basilan is an Angat Buhay project, and we only found out when we were already there.

The Angat Buhay Weaving Center in Lamitan City, Basilan.

Just as how Sulu has a weaving center featuring the traditional Tausug pis yabit, Basilan has one featuring its own Yakan tennun. Tennun, which means something that has been weaved, is a source of pride and symbol of identity for the Yakan people. Tennun is made by weaving locally sourced materials such as cotton, silk or abaca into intricate shapes and patterns, reflecting the culture and soul of the Yakan as a people.

Inside the weaving center.

The weaving center is a large covered space where looms have been laid across. It was inaugurated in 2022 with the hopes of providing livelihood to the weavers of Basilan while at the same time providing means by which the heritage of producing the tennun will continue to flourish. It serves a noble dual purpose: livelihood support and cultural preservation.

There was no active weaving activity in the center when we arrived, hence we just helped ourselves to look around and appreciate what was there: looms, works in progress and finished products. After looking around, Ran and I opted for twofies outside the weaving center. We cannot let that moment pass without taking any souvenir shots of a place where socio-cultural and economic development is in action.

Oddly brought back many memories of shouting: Sa gobyernong tapat, angat buhay lahat!

The connection between the Tennun Weaving Center and the Angat Buhay Foundation is unmistakable. One takes a literal step to weave threads into a wonderful creation, seamlessly interlocking colors to produce a soulful cloth of a culture’s identity. Another takes a concrete course of action to weave the threads of society all the way to the fringes, advocating for inclusively progressive human development.

Visiting Angat Buhay was an uplifting experience. True to its founding vision of empowering Filipinos in becoming communities of active citizens as we collectively pursue a life of dignity and hope, Angat Buhay chose to build a weaving center in a relatively remote area, still healing from the wounds of conflict and strife of the past. No noise, no publicity—there was even barely mobile signal—just authentic social work focused in uplifting the lives of those who tend to be left behind.