The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) has teamed up with the private sector to establish a silkworm-rearing facility in Pangil town in this province as part of a broader effort to grow a silk industry within Calabarzon.

In a phone interview on Monday, Aaron Joniel Carandang, Project Technical Assistant IV of DOST’s regional office, said the primary objective of the PTRI’s endeavor is “to cultivate sustainable silk production while concurrently fostering livelihood opportunities and enhancing market accessibility for silk-based products.”

He explained that this initiative is poised to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive silk production ecosystem across the five-province region.

Carandang disclosed that a memorandum of agreement was signed over the weekend between the PTRI and Hills & Berries of Pangil, a subsidiary of Makati City-headquartered Magra Nutri-Foods Corporation, for the establishment of the rearing facility.

It was explained that Hills & Berries represents the ideal partner for this venture as it grows mulberry trees, whose leaves are silkworm’s primary source of nutrients.

He explained that this collaboration marks a pivotal milestone in the project’s development because it combines government and private sector resources to grow a new livelihood-producing local industry.

The PTRI is an attached agency to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

For her part, DOST-Calabarzon director Amelita Bagsit articulated the profound impact anticipated from this collaborative effort.

She envisions a strengthened silk and natural fibers industry not only in Laguna but throughout the entirety of Calabarzon.

“Looking forward to the creation of strengthened silk and other natural fibers industry in Laguna and the entire Calabarzon,” she said in an online post. (PNA)