KIAMBA, Sarangani province—From their modest beginnings, the indigenous peoples (IP) here are set to venture into P35.7 million abaca enterprises.
From merely selling 8 kilos of abaca hanks as initial product hand-carried by Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFida) technician to a buyer in Davao City, to the P250,000 assistance from the Department of Agriculture-Mindanao Rural Development Program (DA-MRPD). Now, the United Maligang Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative(UMFMPC) is set to lead the multimillion venture with province-wide operation.
“The goal of UMFMPC has always been to help abaca farmers in our barangay who mostly belong to the IP communities of T’boli,” UMFMPC Manager Ricardo Añora said in the dialect.
Añora said the assistance of MRDP seemed to have opened the doors of assistance for them.
“MRDP has provided us two stripping machines, which tremendously increased production to 300 kilos a month and improved quality abaca fiber. We also bought handloom weaver and sewing machine for our value-adding activities,” Añora said.
“From then on, assistance kept on coming. We received assistance from the DOST [Department of Science and Technology], additional stripping machine from PhilFida, from the provincial government and even private organization, like the ABS-CBN Foundation.”
At the moment, they have eight working stripping machines strategically located in the remote and mountainous villages to cater to their members’ needs.
“With bigger production, our co-op has acquired more assets. From 5 hectares of common abaca farm, we now have additional 32 hectares more.”
‘Extending the ropes’
More than 90 percent of abaca farmers in Sarangani province belong to T’boli tribe. Even before its commercialization, abaca farming has been part of the culture and tradition of the IPs in the province, which roots back from their ancestors who have already used abaca as a material in weaving the traditional clothing known as T’nalak.
UMFMPC’s proposal of the enhancement of abaca production, processing and marketing of high- quality fiber enterprise under the DA’s Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) has been recently approved for funding.
“We are amazed that the Provincial government and the municipal government has touted us to be the lead proponent group among abaca farmers in the province to manage project of this magnitude,” Añora said.
Under PRDP, abaca enterprise will operate across the province with six clusters. Two clusters will cover Kiamba, and one from each town of Maitum, Maasim, Alabel and Malungon, which will directly benefit 370 farmers. The cluster aims to produce a consolidated total of 107,000 kilograms of baled abaca every month.
Operations in charge Dante Tumaro said the main products for marketing will be the high-quality baled abaca fiber and tinagak, a special and fine abaca thread, which comes from 20 percent of the interior pulp of the abaca plant. Tinagak processing will employ 60 women members in Barangay Maligang, where a processing center will be built for them.
Aside from the processing center, they will also procure a six-wheeler hauling truck, one delivery truck, 74 units of portable stripping machine/dying shed; 56 units of heavy-duty spindle stripping machine; pressing machine for abaca baling and fork lift, among others.
“With the proper equipment and observance of good agriculture practices to ensure fiber quality, the members would expect at the minimum income of P9,200 per hectare up to 45,500 per hectare per harvest,” Tumaro said.
Sherwin B. Manual/PRDP Mindanao