An unexpected weekend in Cebu, a love letter to the hands behind the weaves, and rediscovering the joy of experiencing culture through play.
How can I even begin to put into words what happened this weekend in Cebu?
What started as a spontaneous trip turned into one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had with a brand and community that I’ve grown to love over the years.
My story with ANTHILL began in 2021, when I first reached out to have a custom Filipino-Chinese cheongsam and barong made for my tea ceremony. I wanted something that celebrated both sides of my heritage, and ANTHILL helped bring that vision to life.
This relationship was the start of my love of celebrating my culture through weaves, crafts and fashion.
Since then, I’ve proudly become an ANTHILL weave wearer, crafter, and eventually, a member of their council as a Master Crafter. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating on creative projects, including the flower-making DIY kit we launched for Mother’s Day in 2024.
But despite all these years of working together, I had never actually been to Cebu to see where so much of the magic happens.
A spontaneous trip that became so much more
While spending a few weeks in Manila, I reached out to Anya, thinking we might be able to squeeze in a quick lunch or dinner.
Instead, she invited me to Cebu!
And because spontaneous adventures are always better with good company, I invited my best friend Angel to come along. After 20 years of friendship, this would be our very first trip together.
A few days before our departure, the ANTHILL team sent over our itinerary, along with the warmest welcome message.
That’s when I learned we weren’t simply visiting their headquarters. We were going to be part of something special: the pilot of their very first weaving community immersion experience, visiting their partner weaving community, Hablonan ni Lauriana, in Argao, south of Cebu.
From that letter alone, I knew ANTHILL had already gone above and beyond anything I expected from this trip.
Finally, at ANTHILL
Our Friday afternoon was spent at ANTHILL, exploring their headquarters, learning more about their work, and spending time with the people who bring their vision to life.
There’s something different about walking into a space you’ve admired from afar for years.
I’ve worn their textiles, worked with their fabrics, and created pieces using their materials. But being there, surrounded by the colors, textures, stories, and people behind them, made everything feel even more special.
Every corner of the gallery and creative space reflected the care and intention behind ANTHILL’s work. There was a whole wall of traditional weaves. Then the different shelves and products that they’ve collaborated with weaving communities, designers and brands, like Super Inday Art.
I tried on beautiful panyo skirts and tops from their archived, current and Artefino collections. I got a preview of how they repurposed fabrics from their business partners.
And then came one of my favorite parts of the weekend: getting to make something with my own hands.
Rediscovering culture through play
That afternoon, we Anthill hosted a pusô making workshop. This award-winning (Red Award for Object Making at the Good Design Awards Philippines 2026) DIY kit is created by Cebu Making Space in collaboration with Anthill. Using the kit, they guided us through the process of this Cebuano tradition.
Pusô, hanging rice, is a Cebuano food staple. The history is rooted in pre-colonial practice of using it as an offering to diwatâ spirits.Typically made from palm leaves, we used zero-waste fabric weaves during the workshop.
As I was making my attempts, I realized that for the first time in a long while, I found myself genuinely challenged by a craft.
I was learning, figuring things out, making mistakes, and experiencing that wonderful little moment of accomplishment when you finally finish something and think, Wow, I actually made that!
It reminded me why I fell in love with making things in the first place.
Over the years, I’ve built creative businesses like LAROWAN and Dreaming of Play around creativity, play, and cultural products. Somewhere along the way, I felt that the focus had shifted toward retail, and I’d lost sight of what originally made these ideas meaningful to me.
This weekend brought that feeling back.
Culture isn’t just something we need to preserve behind glass, admire from a distance, or purchase in a store. It’s something we should be able to experience.
Through workshops, crafts, and play, we create opportunities to learn about traditions in a way that’s approachable, joyful, and deeply human.
And something else happens when we try to make things ourselves: we develop empathy.
Suddenly, we understand a little more about the patience, discipline, and skill that makers have spent years cultivating. We begin to appreciate not only the beauty of what they’ve created, but also the labor and knowledge behind it.
That’s what I want more people to experience. Not simply owning something beautiful from our culture, but understanding what makes it beautiful in the first place.
A journey to Hablonan ni Lauriana
On Saturday, we traveled south of Cebu to Argao, where we spent the afternoon with the community weavers of Hablonan ni Lauriana.
I’ve always loved handwoven textiles, but meeting the people behind them deepened my respect and appreciation.
We learned how much preparation goes into traditional handloom weaving, from planning patterns and arranging thousands of threads to setting up the loom before the actual weaving can begin.
I remember hearing during our tour that preparing the threads for a long length of fabric could take an entire day (without breaks). It’s hand-tying in over 2700+ pieces of thread. And that was before the weaving itself.
It’s a process that demands an incredible amount of patience and precision. A mistake or gap in quality can mean hours of work that cannot be accepted.
And as someone who loves crafting and wearing the fabrics, I didn’t understand this until this weekend. I thought I understood before, but it wasn’t until this experience that I fully grasped the hours of work that it takes for the loom to make it to production.
I’ve cut, sewn, and crafted with beautiful weaves for years. But I hadn’t fully appreciated just how much work happens before a single piece of fabric reaches my hands.
The woman behind my weave
One of the most memorable parts of our visit was meeting Aba, who was also our guide for the afternoon. She was also one of the new graduates that had completed the 3-month long training to be a weaver.
What made that meeting particularly special was discovering that Aba was the person who designed the weave of the red piece I was wearing that very day and that the women behind many of the pieces that I’ve adored and worked on was this community.
My heart was filled with awe. Like, isn’t that incredible?
So here I was, wearing something I loved, and standing right beside the person whose creativity and skill had helped bring it to life.
We were also honored to be special guests at the community’s graduation ceremony that afternoon.
During her speech, Aba shared some of the doubts she’d experienced about weaving and whether it could become a sustainable livelihood.
Hearing that was particularly moving.
We learned about the three months of training the weavers undergo and the financial support provided during that period, helping them dedicate time to learning their craft while still caring for their everyday needs.
For many, weaving is connected to much more than artistic expression. It’s also about supporting their families, putting children through school, and building a future.
I think about that now whenever I look at a piece of handwoven fabric.
Every thread represents someone’s time. Every pattern reflects someone’s knowledge. And every finished piece carries the work of hands that have practiced, learned, and mastered something extraordinary.
I’ll never look at fabric the same way
One of my biggest takeaways from this weekend is a renewed appreciation for using materials thoughtfully.
When I think about all the preparation, patience, and skill that go into weaving a single piece of fabric, even the smallest scrap feels valuable.
It makes me appreciate the importance of zero-waste crafting and finding creative ways to give every piece of textile a purpose.
As a crafter, I know I’ll be thinking differently the next time I cut into a beautiful weave.
Because once you’ve met the hands behind the fabric, it’s impossible to see it as just fabric again.
The people who made this weekend even more special
Of course, an experience like this wouldn’t have been the same without the people who shared it with me.
To my best friend Angel, thank you for saying yes to this spontaneous adventure! After 20 years of friendship, I still can’t believe this was our very first trip together. I’m so grateful we got to share these new experiences, learn something together, and create memories that we’ll be talking about for years to come. Here’s to more adventures and hopefully not waiting another 20 years for the next one!
We were also joined by JV Gonzalez (@janvincentgonzales), and one of the funniest and most unexpected discoveries of the weekend was realizing that all three of us had grown up in the same city in the Philippines! Crazy!
Then there was PG, who was our tour guide during the weekend. She’s really one of the most inspiring people I know. Her stories and her passion are something that will always remind me to do everything with gugma (heart).
There’s something special about meeting people through shared experiences and discovering that your stories have been connected in ways you never expected.
Between the conversations, the laughter, the learning, and the little coincidences, this weekend became so much more than a cultural immersion trip.
It became a reminder of how culture brings people together.
A love letter to the A-Team
If there’s one thing I want people to know about ANTHILL, it’s this:
They put their heart into everything they do.
From the very first welcome message to the smallest details of our itinerary, I felt the care and intention behind this entire experience.
And I don’t think that care is limited to the way they welcome guests.
You see it in how they build relationships with their weaving partners, how they celebrate Filipino craftsmanship, how they collaborate with makers, and how they create meaningful experiences for their community of weave wearers and crafters.
There’s a meticulousness to what they do, and it’s always with warmth & care.
I’ve admired ANTHILL as a brand for years. This weekend reminded me why I’ve continued to believe in the people and purpose behind it.
To Anya and the entire A-Team, thank you for inviting us into your world, for the conversations, the laughter, the hospitality, and for making us feel so genuinely welcomed.
To the weavers of Hablonan ni Lauriana, thank you for sharing your time, knowledge, and beautiful craft with us.
And to ANTHILL, thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your story over these past few years.
You have my pusô, ANTHILL. And after this weekend, even more so.
Make something meaningful
One of my favorite things about being part of the ANTHILL community is that you don’t have to be a professional maker to experience the joy of creating something with your own hands.
Their award-winning DIY crafting kits in collaboration with Cebu Making Space bring a little bit of that experience into your own home.
I’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with ANTHILL on their flower-making kit, and after this weekend, I have an even deeper appreciation for the work and thought behind these creative experiences.
If this story has made you curious about Filipino craftsmanship, I encourage you to explore ANTHILL’s DIY kits and make something of your own.
Because sometimes, the best way to appreciate a tradition is to experience a little of what goes into making it.
Explore ANTHILL’s DIY crafting kits: https://anthillfabrics.com/collections/diy-craft-kits (You can use my code: PWWJEA for 10% off, minimum $150 USD at both Anthill Fabrics or Anthill Market)
With love and a very full heart,
Jea
Follow the Jea Dreams Of blog and my Instagram @jeadreamsof for more stories of culture, motherhood, and figuring it all out.
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