Ivatan Weedrobe

Another eco-wearable made from plant materials such as grass is the "Vakul", a traditional headdress of the Ivatan ( inhabitants of Batanes, the northernmost islands province of the Philippines). However, unlike the ephemeral "weedrobes" made from plant materials, the vakul is a functional creation meant as a protective gear from nature's elements like sun and rain. Abaca fibers and cogon grass are the typical plant materials
woven to create this quaint eco-friendly wearable.

Below: Typical Ivatan women wearing the traditional vakul headdress

length reaches down to the backside and shelters farmers from the heat and rain.

Batanes Location Map:

Batanes Islands as it is composed of ten islands and islets, the province of Batanes is located between the Babuyan Islands and Taiwan. It is known for being the smallest (in terms of population and land area) and the northernmost province of the Philippine archipelago.

Even though it is constantly swept by wind and rain because it lies along the typhoon belt, Batanes has stood tall and remained as one of the most beautiful and culturally rich provinces in the Philippines.
The Ivatans of today, whose dialect is also called Ivatan (another dialect is Ichbayaten, spoken primarily by dwellers of Itbayan island), are believed to be the descendants of the Austronesians who migrated to Batanes about 4,000 years ago.