Eyes on Asia is a program of Asia Society Philippines which aims to highlight and promote understanding of an Asian country or region through its policy, culture, and arts - spanning discussions and activities to discover what is beyond the surface.

Eyes on Southeast Asia: Textiles and Identity is a three-part series developed and produced in partnership and collaboration with SoFA Design Institute. The series highlights the diverse and rich culture of Southeast Asia through in-depth and personal conversations with creatives, changemakers, and experts.

In Eyes on Southeast Asia: Textiles and Identity, we explore our rich culture of textiles and its link to our identity as peoples. 

Join Asia Society Philippines and SoFA Design Institute on September 8 (Episode 1), (Episode 2) 15, and (Episode 3) 22 every 5:00PM live on the Asia Society Philippines' Facebook and YouTube pages (@AsiaSocietyPH). 

Episode 1: The Filipino Identity & Textiles Woven Through Culture

Southeast Asia is a culturally diverse and yet homogenous region. One aspect deeply ingrained in the diverse milieu of the region is textiles. Through textiles, stories and history are documented in each intricate step of its making. The weaves going beyond woven material or simple aesthetics to an integral part of an individual's, a community's, a nation's, and a peoples' identity. 

In Episode 1, we scratch the surface of the intricate art and industry of textiles in the Philippine setting with our panel of experts. 

PANEL

with host

Ms. Carla Leonor, Chairperson for Interior Design, SoFA Design Institute

Carla is a licensed Designer of Human-Centered Products and Built Environments; an Educational Innovator and an Entrepreneur. She considers herself a lifelong learner passionate about exploring possibilities and pushing the boundaries of what is and what could be. 

Her interests in merging Art, Science, Business and Tech apply in her cross-disciplinary endeavors that include innovating user experiences through Signature Spaces, an e-mentoring platform for Interior Design DIYers; exploring the boundaries of wearable art through Studio CLEO, a bespoke metalsmithing and glassblowing studio; rethinking what Design Education should be as the Chairperson of the Interior Design Program of SoFA Design Institute & in Furniture Design as an Research & Development consultant for furniture brands & manufacturers in the Philippines. Currently, she is working with thinktank, Studio Idiyanale and is leading a study on bringing the Philippine Creative Economy to a global scale. 

and guests

Ms. Anya Lim, Co-Founder of AntHILL Fabric Gallery; and Asia 21 Young Leader

Anya Lim is the  "Princess Ant" and Co-Founder and Managing Director of ANTHILL Fabric Gallery, a social and cultural enterprise working to support sustainable livelihood among Filipino artisan communities through circular and contemporary design as well as capacity building through community enterprise development.  With over a decade of experience in community development, her immersion began as a volunteer with international non-profits where she did work on resource mobilisation and advocacy communications. Anya finished her Masters in Communications for Social Change at the University of Queensland, Australia. Anya is passionate about community entrepreneurship and our showcasing our handcraft traditions for women economic empowerment.
 

Dr. Corinne Romabiles, Adjunct Professor at the Asian Institute of Management

Corinne Romabiles, a professor of art and communication has long been trying to pursue Filipino Design Thinking. She is the executive creative director of Studio Idiyanale, a studio & consultancy group and has since been fascinated with projects that mix the fine arts with the hard sciences. Idiyanale, based in Manila, crafted an Agham-Arte agenda inspired by the teachings of Harvard professor & Artscience founder, David Edwards. Agham-Arte is a Philippine “art & science lab” that experiments within a triad design-business-technology perspective. Using Agham-Arte’s ideation process, the studio pioneered a Philippine Branding methodology. Idiyanale’s creative approach is likewise anchored in the principles of Nation Branding - a business strategy used by countries that synthesizes key forces (political-economic, artistic-cultural & historical-social) at play in a highly visual & global marketplace. 

Corinne is an adjunct faculty at the MS Innovation and Business Program at the Asian Institute of Management where she authored & teaches 2 courses: Philippine Branding and Art-Science Thinking. She was a professor of art & communication among Engineering, Multimedia Arts, Digital Cinema, IT & Business students in Mapúa University from 2010 – 2020. Her on-going research on Art-Science has brought her to Harvard Univ., Case Western Reserve Univ. (2015) and Silicon Valley tech-companies like Google, HP & MIPS (2012 - 2018).

She trained in Visual Merchandising, Branding & Advertising at the Fashion School of the Academy of Arts in San Francisco, California in 2012 & 2015 and is a freelance Visual Merchandiser. She has worked for SM Dept. Stores, JAG, Levis, Dockers, Tesoro’s Inc., the DTI’s One-Town, One-Product Project and specializes in retail atmospherics & window displays for Philippine Souvenir Stores. She is the founder & creative director of Studio Idiyanale (2017), a digital media studio that focuses on styling things Filipino & science communication.

She has a doctorate in Philippine Studies, major in International Relations (Asian Center, UP-Diliman) and an MA in Art Studies, major in Art History (CAL, UP-Diliman) where she pioneered a study on the History of the Philippine Souvenir Store & Filipiniana Displays. 

Her interest in Cultural Diplomacy & Nation Branding began in Italy, where she lived from 2003 -2006 to study Theology & Philosophy at the Pontificia Universita della Santa Croce, Rome. 

Hon. Loren Legarda, Deputy Speaker, Philippine House of Representatives

Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda currently serves as member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, representing the Lone District of the Province of Antique. Prior to her election to the current position in May 2019, she was a three-term member of the Philippine Senate where she chaired the Committees on Finance, Foreign Relations, and Climate Change. She has authored many laws aimed at improving the lives of Filipinos and promoting inclusive, sustainable and resilient development.

She is also currently the UNDRR Global Champion for Resilience, the UNFCCC National Adaptation Plan Champion, a Commissioner of the Global Commission on Adaptation, the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Ambassador for Parliaments, and the Women Political Leaders Global Ambassador for Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change and Environment.

In 2013, Legarda was Head of the Philippine delegation to the 37th UNESCO General Conference in Paris, France. In 2014, Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe invited her as the lone Philippine delegate to the World Assembly for Women in Tokyo, Japan. In 2015, Legarda was co-head of the Philippine delegation to the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (3WCDRR) in Sendai, Japan. In 2016, she was co-head of the Philippine delegation to the High Level Signing of the Paris Agreement in New York. In 2017, she was Head of the Philippine delegation to the 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany. In January 2018, she was the lone Philippine delegate to the 26th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Hanoi, Viet Nam. In March 2018, she was also Head of the Philippine Delegation to the 138th Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union in Geneva, Switzerland. In April 2018, she was Alternate Head of Philippine Delegation to the World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, USA. In May 2018, she was the head of the Philippine Delegation to the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany. In December 2019, she headed the Philippine Delegation to COP 25 in Madrid Spain.

Her inspiring advocacy on environmental protection has earned her global recognition. She has been recognized as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum and a UNEP Laureate. She was chosen as one of the Summit Champions for the High-Level CVF Virtual Summit held in November 2018 and one of the Climate Defenders chosen for the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow.

A cum laude graduate of the University of the Philippines, National Defense College of the Philippines top notcher, and graduate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Command and General Staff College, Legarda is a reserve officer of the Philippine Air Force with the rank of colonel. She was conferred the degree Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by the University of the Philippines.

Through her efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with other countries, Legarda was bestowed with the title of Knight in the French National Order of the Legion of Honor, Knight in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, and the Award of Distinction by the European Union.

*Stay tuned here and on @asiasocietyph (on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) for updates.

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