COVER STORY
total of 50, from Dapecol, Prov’l Jail and CIW, continued weaving. These weavers, according to Soo were trained. “Apart from the prison-mates, trained weavers now come from different tribes such as the Lumads of Talaingod, the Ata Manobos, the Dibabawons of New Corella, the Mandayas of Kapalong.” “The lockdown was a turning point. But I was amazed that Musa caught the eye of the media. Various media outlets like Inquirer came up to me. My hands were full but my heart was overwhelming with thanksgiving because I felt how God touched me, while I was transforming the lives of different people, because of the Musa Fabric.” When asked of her present thoughts, Soo said, “It was an answered prayer. It shoot up amidst the pandemic. It was built not for profit, but to help. Yes, I had my fair share of income. I gave up my bookkeeping in 2019. I got tried working. I wanted to live a simple life, relaxed and unperturbed. But I remained supportive of my husband in major decision-making in our business. I told myself, for as long as I can pay the rents, the weavers, the tailors, I am good. Profit was not in mind.” I asked her, were there stumbling blocks along the way? “Educating the people. Our fellow Dabaonons to support our local products, instead of buying branded ones like Louie Vuitton, Hermes. “I admit, grabe jud ko mamalit ug bags sa una, pero naa lang sa balay, maybe 20 LVs. Alangan morampa pa ko during the pandemic. Mas ma appreciate ko karon ang Musa products kasi they are made here and truly ours to be proud of. Honestly, I feel much better using the Musa bags. They are trendy and handy apart from
advocacy that I can do, something that will make a difference in my life and the people around me’, narrates Ms. Soo. “You see, I prayed sa Wailing Wall in Jerusalem”. My prayer to God was so fervent, I was seeking my purpose in life, apart from being a mother and a wife. (The Wailing Wall is about the closest a Jew can now get to the spot where the Temple once stood. As I said, Muslims guards still control the Temple Mount itself, which it is a sacred Islamic site. The presence of a Jewish man or woman could provoke a riot. It’s at the Wailing Wall the Jewish people come to mourn their past and pray for a Messianic future.) It’s a Jewish belief. It’s a miraculous wall, where grief, hopes and wishes are offered through prayers. “Prayers written in papers were inserted in the walls. The prayers will then be burned in the Mount of Olives every quarter,” Ms. Joy quips. Most of the prayers from Jews and tourists were astoundingly answered. By this time, Joy’s prayers will soon be answered. In January of 2020, Joy, who was enrolled in Fashion Design in Davao City was searching for a textile that she can use for their graduation, the culmination which required a Philippine Gala theme. Meticulous that she was, Ms. Soo wanted a fabric that’s of Davao del Norte origin. Just like an answered prayer, Joy found the fabric made of banana fiber, improved its colours and eventually established what is now the famous Musa Fabric. “I am grateful to the Province of Davao del Norte, DOLE and DTI, because they have been with me, helping me in this journey,” adds Soo. “But of course, I am most proud of all the prison-mates, the lumads and tribes, the weavers who worked diligently
to create the fabric.” Soo spent for the materials and labor. “Banana fiber is softer compared to other fibers used as cloth. It is not itchy to the skin,” she narrated on why she opted banana fiber. “During the Autumn in September, Season 7, I enhanced the colors and patterned them to the things I saw in Holy Land; wood, camel, dessert. Vibrant colours that I find symbolical to my journey.” My big dream? In the future,I want to become a volunteer.I want to dedicate my life serving God first and foremost in our chapel which I used to do when I was in high school...
–Joy Soo
“During this process, I became closer to the prison-mates, spent hours talking with them, was able to know their various backgrounds, their cases at hand. So it came to a point na, hindi na lang ito for my graduation but I decided to create a continuity of the weaving. You see, these prisoners have families to feed,” explains Soo. All of these, happening as the lockdown disabled the ways of normal life. In spite of the lockdown, the prisoners, a
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ALEGRE DE MUSA | Issue 1 • September 2022
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