Trade and Industry Updates: Bohol

A GLIMPSE OF SUCCESS

(A Romance Inspired Business Endeavor)

Loomweaving in the province of Bohol is a century old industry utilizing raffia fibers derived from young buri leaves. Handloomweaving has been handed down from generation to generation by skilled artisans and craftsmen in nine (9) municipalities of Bohol.

This industry has gained considerable acceptance in the world market brought about by the emerging global demand for environment-friendly products. The inherent dexterity and diligence of approximately Five Thousand Sixty Two (5,062) active Boholano loomweaving individuals enabled them to explore new possibilities in designs and colors, which have positioned loomwovens as a seller’s market.

The Taming Loomweavers Multi-Purpose Cooperative is located in Barangay Taming, Danao, Bohol a mountainous barangay some 89 kilometers away from the capital city of Tagbilaran and 3 kilometers from the Poblacion. It is an agricultural barangay with rice, vegetables, peanuts, and coconut as major crops.

Just like any other typical agricultural communities, the primary source of income then came from the harvest of these agricultural crops. Although additional income has been derived from swine, poultry and livestock raising. These activities at least helped the residents in their economic difficulties.

Things started to look bright for the residents when the barangay was identified by the Department of Agrarian Reform as an Agrarian Reform Community (ARC). A variety of interventions came their way one of which is the skills training on loomweaving conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry – Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (DTI-CARP). The activity was conducted at the Taming multi-purpose hall with only 15 participants and 4 handlooms provided by the Philippine-Australia Technical Support for Agrarian Reform for Rural Development (PATSARRD). The trainer then was the former manager of the Pinayagan Sur MPC a cooperative also engaged in the loomweaving business. During our seminar a romantic engagement took place between the trainer and one of our participants and after a month of courtship marriage took place. This is a good sign for the project because the group found a leader with technical expertise to guide them in this business endeavor.

With the assistance of the Jose L. Gonzaga Memorial Foundation and the strong support of the Local Governement Unit of Danao they organized the Taming Loomweavers Association. They started to venture in the loomweaving business and with the marketing assistance of Ms. Natty Gonzaga they started serving small time buyers from Manila most friends of the Gonzaga’s.

During the 2007 Sandugo Regional Product Showcase the Taming Loomweavers Association participated in the fair but their products were hardly noticed by visiting exporters and buyers maybe because their products still need improvements and they had a low production capacity. After the fair they took it as a challenge to improve their products with the dream that someday they will be one of the premier loomwoven producers in the province.

With the continued assistance of the Jose L. Gonzaga Memorial Foundation, the DTI-CARP and the perseverance and sacrifices of the members of the group aimed in improving their skills as well as to train more members they were able to increase the number of their weavers from 10 to 25 capacitated weavers. Through the marketing assistance provided by the Jose L. Gonzaga Memorial Foundation they started serving orders from Manila though these are minimal orders but this serve as an inspiration to the weavers to work and improved their skills because they believe that this will be the stepping stone for more orders from Manila-based buyers.

The weavers did not expect that the skills they learn would become their main livelihood. The skill has since helped their respective husbands bring food to the family table and send their children to school.

In May 2008, the Department of Trade and Industry- Bohol Provincial Office conducted a product development clinic funded by the OTOP funds. Soliven Designs and Consultancy Services, a Manila-based company was tapped to do the product clinic with Mr. Rey Soliven as the design consultant. Two design collections were introduced - the African Collection and the Elm Collection with 14 designs in the collections. Prototypes were made out of the designs given in different color combinations.

During the 2008 Regional Product and Raw Material Showcase their product caught the eye of visiting exporters like 33point3 Exports, Island Accents International and Manila Economic & Cultural Office and most of local buyers and tourist. They have generated a total cash sales of Php 25,000.00 and Booked order of Php 504,000.00 and a number of sampling orders for development from big time exporters and resort owners.

Such exposures encouraged the cooperative and its members to go beyond production level so as to hone their rural entrepreneurial capabilities, build up the confidence of the cooperative in promoting its products, and provide a venue for the cooperative to go into marketing and networking.

Marilou Cosare, the manager of the cooperative, admits that never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that the project would go this far. She vows that such exposures to these exhibits and fairs have transformed their perspectives from passive to more progressive outlook, which she hopes to be emulated by other organizations. Moreover, she claimed that they have now acquired a higher level of confidence to manage their economic activities.

With one foot now inside the international market, there’s no stopping the Taming MPC to continue weaving its way to a brighter tomorrow. ***

posted by dtibohol @ 1:23 PM