Australia discovers hats made by ‘weaving inmates of Bulacan’

BALIUAG, Bulacan, Philippines—Australian exporters have discovered the Buntal hats produced by the “Weaving Inmates of Bulacan,” providing them the international attention which the town’s last Buntal hat maker, Rosario “Rosie” Quizon-Decasa, knew they’d be getting.

Decasa decided last year to entrust her skills to inmates of the Bulacan provincial jail in Malolos City, alarming friends and drawing mockery from her critics.

The 57-year-old Decasa had learned her craft from the original buntal weavers of the 1940s, Joaquin and Ester Villones, but the hat making industry had soured so she decided in 2010 to pass on her skills to 30 inmates.

“If Cebu has dancing inmates [referring to the YouTube sensations], I wanted to see the Buntal hat weaving inmates of Bulacan,” she says.

Last month, 50 hats produced by the inmates were shipped to an Australian buyer for “top dollar” profits. Decasa says the Australian buyer was surprised to learn that the hats were produced by prisoners. She says it was a reaction she received before from other prospective buyers.

“At first the buyers could not believe I would entrust my skills to the inmates or that the inmates could produce fine hats. Some asked if the inmates were notorious for grave crimes. But when [my Australian buyer] received the shipment, [he found faith in these workers] who spend time locked up behind bars,” she says.

Decasa sells to the inmates, led by George Dionaldo, 39, strings of uway (rattan fiber) for P50. The inmates weave uway into hats, which she then buys back from them for P300 a piece.

“See, here they are becoming entrepreneurs now. They earn P250 per hat which they made and sold,” she says.

Vic Ramos, 51, an inmate, says he joined Decasa’s project to while away the time, but the market interest in Buntal hats has convinced him to engage in hat weaving once he is set free.

Dionaldo says he plans to pass on his new skills to his family.

But Decasa says she is aware that the 30 “weaving inmates” are not enough to supply the orders from overseas buyers, so she plans to also train Bulacan residents who are serving jail terms at the New Bilibid Prison.

There are about 2,000 detainees at the Bulacan provincial jail, but only Dionaldo’s group has volunteered for the project.

“Creating the ’Weaving Inmates of Bulacan’ was not just an opportunity for inmates to earn money, it was also meant to promote Buntal hat weaving,” Decasa says.