Monday, November 03, 2008 T'bolis get abaca stripping machines
THE three abaca stripping machines donated through a grant by the US Aid-funded Philippine Environmental Governance Project (EcoGov) is projected to benefit some 200 T'boli families in the uplands of Kiamba, Sarangani.
The machines were turned over to the members of the T'boli Falel Community Association Inc. (TFCAI) headed by Kiamba Mayor Rommel Tomas Falgui and representatives of EcoGov, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Fiber Industry Development Authority (Fida) regional office.
According to Dr. Olympio Macarayan, Fida regional director, the TFCAI usually produces only about 10 kilos of abaca fiber per day.
"With just one machine, the T'bolis can now have a daily output of as much as 70 kilos of better quality abaca fiber. Per kilo of fiber fetches a price ranging from about P50 to around P70. So you can just imagine the tremendous increase in income," he said.
He added that Fida and Kiamba are working closely to support abaca farms not only of T'bolis but other local communities as well.
Falgui thanked US-Aid and the DENR for the assistance.
"Now that our people have a profitable means of livelihood, they will certainly do their share in protecting and conserving our remaining natural forests that are so rich in biodiversity, by helping guard against illegal logging perpetrated by some community members as well as outsiders," he said.
TFCAI members, who manage around 500 hectares of abaca farms, are holders of Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA), a kind of land tenure granted by the DENR to people's organizations.
The CBFMA, which covers a total of 5,000 hectares, allows the TFCAI members to engage in income-generating activities, such as abaca farming, in areas considered as production zones.
They are also responsible for managing and guarding the forests, especially those in the strict-protection area.
Of Kiamba's 32,000 hectares of forestlands, about 25,000 hectares are with forest cover - the largest in the Province of Sarangani -- a substantial chunk of which is protected by T'boli communities.
Helping upland communities with their livelihood is a key part of EcoGov's strategy to protect and conserve biodiversity.
Kiamba is home to various flora and fauna such as bats, birds, monkeys, and wild boars found in the forest. It also manages a marine sanctuary where turtles, specifically the oliver ridley, lay their eggs.
Investments coming in at the Kiamba uplands are in line with the town's Forest Land Use Plan (Flup) developed with the assistance of EcoGov.
The Flup provides the basis for land allocation and identifies areas for investment, such as abaca plantations, and areas for protection.
EcoGov has also brokered a partnership between the farmers, the Kiamba Municipal Government and business groups engaged in the rubber business for the planting of rubber trees to ensure sustainable livelihood.
EcoGov also provides technical assistance on solid waste and wastewater management to Kiamba.
Abaca is a major product of Kiamba, which produces 250,000 kilos of abaca fiber annually. There is a high demand for abaca fiber, especially from foreign buyers.
Known worldwide as Manila hemp, the abaca fiber is obtained from the leaf sheath of the abaca, which is indigenous to the Philippines and is similar to banana in appearance. Abaca fiber is considered the strongest among natural fibers.
