Sustainability project prepares Siocon women for the future
“The Women of Sta. Maria are thankful to TVIRD for giving us this sustainability project.”
This is the unanimous statement of the members of the Sta. Maria Women’s Association (SMWA) of barangay Sta. Maria, municipality of Siocon, province of Zamboanga del Norte, during the formal start of the production of bottled sardines – a project assisted by the TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc. (TVIRD).
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“We shall take good care of this project so that it can be sustainable. This livelihood project will help augment our income and prepare us for the future,” Manuela Canonayon, President of Sta. Maria Women’s Association, shares.
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The bottled sardines are labeled “MANANAM” (delicious).
“This project aims to jumpstart alternative livelihood projects for the women of Siocon,” said Julma Villanueva, a Junior Officer of the Community Relations and Development Office (CREDO) of TVIRD.
The production of the bottled sardines was the offshoot of a training program attended by 12 officers and members of the women’s association at the Dipolog School of Fisheries in Dipolog City.
TVIRD provided P100, 000 for the training and cooking materials and for the improvement of the area where the sardines are being prepared.
The small sardine factory is located in Sitio Busicong in Barangay Sta Maria. This place was chosen due to its proximity to the sea where “tamban-tuloy” – the fish used for the sardines, is abundant and where there is ample supply of water – which is another project sponsored by TVIRD.
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The Sta. Maria women working hard to finish and deliver a bulk order
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So far, the bottled sardines are being bought by the Exploration Department of TVIRD in Canatuan and Engr. Jun Antipolo who wants to have a monthly supply of the sardines to be delivered n Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. The association is aggressively looking for other buyers to make the project more sustainable.
A minimum of 158 bottles is processed per batch. Each bottle costs P55.00.
“We shall take good care of this project so that it can be sustainable. This livelihood project will help augment our income and prepare us for the future,” Manuela Canonayon, President of SMWA stated. She added that “we are fortunate that TVIRD gave us the chance to learn the technology and gave us the capital to start the production. For this, we are very grateful to TVIRD.”
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A sense of fulfillment. After a whole day’s work, the women of Sta. Maria are proud of what they have produced. “I am thankful for this project that TVIRD gave us since it is big help for our daily subsistence and our future,” Jessica Palma, a member of the association, said.
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CreDO Manager Joel Alasco said the sardines-making project is under TVIRD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program and funded by the Social Development Management Plan (SDMP).
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(from left) Joel Alasco, CReDO Manager, and Julma Villanueva, CReDO Junior Program
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To date, there are only 12 women in the workforce composed of Manuela Canonayon, Judith Danyo, Jessica Palma, Najala Salman, Estrella Canonayon, Aurora Guro, Nella Balic, Merliza Bulanon, Jovie Cailo, Rosalyn Alcantara, Amina Kirran, and Sahara Alih.
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The MANANAM Bottled Sardines. The Sta. Maria Women’s Association aims that the name MANANAM Bottled Sardines of the Muslim women in Siocon shall be known in the market.
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Depending on the number of buyers, the Siocon women association said there are already plans to recruit and train more members to produce more sardines. (Erika G. Etbew)
