Southwest of the Philippine archipelago is Palawan, home to giraffes, impalas, and zebras, the home of the forbidding limestone cliffs of El Nido, subterranean caverns, rivers of   St. Paul, safari island of Calawit, and Tubbataha reef, the most beautiful dive site this side of the world.  The province has gained the title “Haven of Philippine Wildlife.” It is made up of 1,768 islands and islets and is the second largest province of the Philippines.  It is one of the most preferred tourist destinations.

Sta. Monica is a barrio in Puerto Princesa City, the capital of Palawan.  A visit to this place would not be complete if one misses to drop by Binuatan Creations, a handicraft shop known for handwoven place mats, table runners, wall covers, and window blinds.  Binuatan Creations is famous for products made from fibers, among them amumuting, vetiver grass, tambo-tambo, florica, tikog, buntal, ginit, talahib, and mangrove grass. Amumuting has long slender hollow leaves about 2 millimeters in diameter and 1 meter in length. It could easily be mistaken for coconut midrib or tingting at a far distance. Its color ranges from ripe atis green to kayumanggi brown.  Vetiver, on the other hand, resembles a folded blade ribbon around 8 mm thick and 1 meter long. It is dark green when fresh and greenish yellow when dried. Tikog, which belongs to the seagrass family, grows in rice paddies. It is tubular with hollowed inner portion and measures from 0.1 to 0.2 mm in diameter and one and one-half meters in length.  Amumuting, vetiver grass, tikog, and the other raw material fibers had long been unwanted. Ironically, they are much sought for the texture and color that provide the prime and unique characteristics of the products of Binuatan Creations.  Eva Valledor or “Bang,” as her friends call her, is the young manager and life of Binuatan Creations.