In Pile, 9 years are remembered since the declaration of the Ecuadorian hat made of toquilla straw as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

PORTOVIEJO

On December 5, 2012, Ecuador received the news that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) incorporated the local toquilla straw hat weaving into the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a recognition of the laborious hands that structure this garment in various provinces of the country, including Azuay, Cañar and mainly Manabí.

Precisely in Manabí, fine toquilla straw hats are made, whose cost even exceeds $ 5,000, depending on the fabric, in garments that must be woven in a low-temperature environment and in a period of up to six months.

Although the declaration was announced in 2012, the process for submitting the candidacy file was extended two previous years, as indicated by Manuel Barcia, technician of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, this Friday, 2, in a meeting held in Pile.

This file was prepared from October 2010 to March 2011, and two consultancies were also hired in those years, to which was added the work of systematizing bibliographic and documentary information on the process of weaving the toquilla straw hat.

“It was necessary to have the historical, sociological and anthropological elements to justify the importance of the sociocultural function of the manifestation as intangible heritage, work carried out by a multidisciplinary team from zones 4, 5 and 6 (Manabí, Guayas, Azuay)” Barcia noted.

Pile has 247 weavers who are qualified

Barcia was one of the exhibitors who were in Pile within the community meeting of women weavers from Manabí, which also had the participation of members of various weavers’ associations of this garment.

Alba Moreira, a professor at the San Gregorio de Portoviejo University, considered it essential to know the motivations that hat weavers have especially to keep up with this arduous work despite the difficulties, a fact that also motivated a study.

An issue associated with the legal was also analyzed in that meeting. It was considered as an alternative to create a constitutional protection for artisans and thereby allow their products to be made visible and their origin highlighted.

“The designation of origin is vital, there is a safeguard plan and a management plan for shawl straw that must be respected, involve the authorities in this process and generate clear public policies,” said Celia López, cultural manager who participated in this meeting held as a reminder to the nine years of the declaration in favor of the weaving of the toquilla straw hat. (I)