Philippine Textile Industry: Isla-Tek and Unisol Spotlight Innovation at Geeks on a Beach 2025

At Geeks on a Beach 2025, Cecilia Martinez-Miranda, co-founder of Isla-Tek, joined Maria Elena “Nannette” Arbon, as well as Nicky Rice and Sylbil Marie Fortuna of Unisol in a panel discussion titled “From Dependence to Self-Reliance: Reviving the Philippine Textile-Garment Industry Through Technology and Tradition.” Together, they examined how technology, design, and collaboration could help restore a once-thriving sector that previously positioned the Philippines among the world’s leading garment producers.

A window of opportunity 

“Fifteen years ago, during my visit to weaving communities in Baguio, I discovered that many were using imported Chinese threads because the local supply chain had disappeared,” Miranda said. “That made me wonder — why did we stop producing our own textiles?” 

In the 1970s to  1980s, the Philippines was one of the world’s leading exporters of textiles and garments. However, the rise of cheap imported synthetic materials, rising local power costs and a lack of reinvestment in technology led to a significant decline in the industry. “The last commercial spinning mill closed down in 2024. We have the raw materials, but lack the infrastructure to process them,” Miranda noted.

Republic Act No. 9242, also known as the Tropical Fabrics Act of 2004, mandates that government uniforms must be made from fabrics containing at least 5% indigenous fibers. However, Moderator Nannette Arbon, a former regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), emphasized the challenges of implementing such policies, even when they are well-intentioned. 

“This policy has been in place for twenty years but has never gained traction due to a lack of local supply,” said Arbon.

 

Miranda added that the revised implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA 9242, released in 2023, present a unique “window of opportunity” for progress. 

Weaving collaboration across the chain

Founded just a year ago, Isla-Tek is focused on developing specialty fabrics made from Philippine tropical fibers, such as pineapple and abaca. Instead of pursuing a vertical approach, the startup emphasizes collaboration by linking each stage of the supply chain. 

“We’re not trying to do everything ourselves,” Miranda explained. “We work with partners across the supply chain, from farmers, fiber processors, mills, to designers, so that value is created at every step.”

Among Isla-Tek's partners are Asia Textile Mills, a 40-year-old mill specializing in uniform fabrics which began R&D into tropical fabric in the early 2000s, and Unisol, a technology-enabled company that serves the government uniform market. “There’s a lot of innovation happening on the supply chain side,” Miranda noted. “We’re collaborating with people who have decades of experience—knowledge and skills that we can't afford to lose.”

Sylbil Marie Fortuna, Head of Customer Success at Unisol, emphasized the vital role that technology plays in connecting supply and demand. “Unisol is the go-to provider for government uniforms, offering efficient booking and delivery,” she explained. 

“Through our website, unisol.ph, clients can select fabrics and colors, upload their logos, set delivery dates, and process payments that create a hotel-like booking experience for uniform design,” said Fortuna.

Nicky Rice, Chief of Product and Design at Unisol, highlighted the importance of using local materials that resonate with consumers. She stated, “My goal as a designer is to transform fabric into something marketable, both functional and stylish, while also considering sustainability.”

A shared effort to rebuild

Challenges remain in scaling production, but the conversation at GOAB highlighted that collaboration among agriculture, manufacturing, and design could spark a new wave of domestic textile-garments innovation. 

“Competing with countries like China or India in cotton production is difficult, but few nations can produce pineapple or abaca as we do. That’s our competitive advantage,” Miranda noted.

Startups like Isla-Tek and Unisol are partnering with legacy mills, designers, and government entities, as the industry gradually reestablishes the connections between agriculture, manufacturing, and national identity. 

Although rebuilding the textile and garment sector may take time, each collaboration and partnership moves the country closer to realizing that vision. That is why the Philippine government, as the country’s biggest procuring entity, must be the first mover in supporting the local textile ecosystem by fully implementing Republic Act No. 9242.