MARAWI CITY - Upon realizing the opportunities that lay in the abaca industry, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) Ministry of Trade, Investment, and Tourism (MTIT) members of different abaca farming cooperatives to come together to form the Lanao del Sur Abaca Federation in response to the industry’s speedy ascension into one of the top industries in the municipality of Piagapon.
Shortly after their foundation, the cooperatives
set up substations for their products in Bobot village for easier delivery to
their clients in Balo-i. Some villages, like Basak, are located slightly far
off, and their damaged roads only made it harder for them to make trips to
their clients. By setting up substations, the federation ensured that no
cooperative was left behind during deliveries.
They also shared that for some time back when
they first started in the industry, most of them also struggled with getting
seedlings, but with the help of the MTIT and the Philippine Fiber Industry
Development Authority (PhilFIDA), they stepped in and provided them with abaca
seedlings to help them out.
Once planted, it usually takes around eight
months to a year before the fibers can be harvested and sent off to their
client, NewTech Pulp Inc., in Balo-I town.
Ever since entering the industry, countless
farmers have found stable livelihoods in abaca farming and opened opportunities
for their families, like the chance for their children to pursue their formal
education. Some of the members of the federation have actually put their
children through college because of it, while others are pursuing opportunities
that they would never have had the chance to because of financial
hurdles.
The MTIT is also currently working with a
five-year Abaca Industry Roadmap Technical Working Group, aiming to strengthen
abaca production and make our products more competitive in the international
market. This includes market matching and providing farmers with skills
training and livelihood programs, among other things.
As the abaca industry continues to move forward,
the federation expressed its dedication to continuing to produce high-quality
fibers to become one of the country’s top 5 suppliers. They do this not just
for themselves but for the rest of the farming communities in Lanao del Sur.
(Pamela Joyce Fumero)
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