The Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI) visited Central Philippines State University (CPSU)–Main Campus for a consultative meeting on the potential establishment of the Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center (RYPIC) within the university reserve.

 Led by OIC Assistant Regional Director of DOST-Negros Island Region (NIR) Atty. Gilbert R. Arbon and Negros Occidental Assistant Provincial Science and Technology Director Engr. Glady S. Reyes, the eight-person DOST-PTRI team, in the consultative meeting with CPSU President Dr. Aladino C. Moraca and with Research and Development Services Office Director Dr. Angelie Rose L. Lumba on April 14, 2026.

 The teams visited multiple sites in the Main Campus, cited as prospect sites for DOST-PTRI’s flagship program, "Fostering the Revitalization of Nascent Textile Innovation Ecosystems in the Region (FRONTIER)," which “seeks to establish hubs for natural textile fibers and yarns, alongside centers dedicated to natural dyes and weaving innovations, amplifying regional textile capabilities.”

 Dr. Moraca and Dr. Lumba also welcomed them to the renovated CPSU Handloom Weaving Project Center, where five DOST-PTRI-donated units of the HL Mach 4.0 Modified Handloom Weaving Machine (Model Type 45-inch, 4-Harness, Sliding Beater) are already being used by the CPSU weavers, composed of women from the community and university students.

 The new machines are more advanced models that can accommodate new designs, a wider range of thread sizes, and less labor-intensive work—an upgrade from the two-pedal model used in CPSU’s Handloom Weaving Project—and are now used to produce improved CPSU textile products.

 The HL Mach 4.0 Modified Handloom Weaving Machine enables weavers to work with high-end materials, such as locally cultured mulberry silk, to make premium, up-sized products. These weaving outputs could be used by artisanal or designer brands to make upscale products.

 As long-established partners in revitalizing and enriching the weaving culture in the region, CPSU and DOST-PTRI are expected to continue talks about the latter’s flagship program.