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Quality control. Marvin Edal, grandson of Timuay Casiano Edal, inspects Abaca fiber that are hung out to dry. Demand for the product is high as it earns the country some Php4.7 billion in average annual exports.
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The 38 graduates of the Training of Trainers program are all members of the Subanen IPs who will share their knowledge with fellow tribesmen. The program was conducted by the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PHILFIDA) and supported by non-government organization Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits, Inc. (ECOWEB) and TVIRD.
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At the presidential table are officials from PHILFIDA, NCIP and the local government of Bayog who expressly support the Subanens’ Abaca Project. Addressing the participants is TVIRD’s Khalil Pope Tabernero.
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Khalil Pope Tabernero, head of TVIRD Balabag Community Relations Office hands-over a certificate of completion to training participant Margie Andang, a Subana and native of Bayog town.
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TVIRD Community Facilitator Cesar Inson, is a native of Bayog who also expressed his interest in joining the Abaca Project.
TVIRD and Subanens embark on sustainable livelihood prior to mining operations
BAYOG, Zamboanga del Sur / June 2021 – “Multiply the bread and help the community so everyone will benefit from our project.” This was the call of Khalil Pope Tabernero to the Subanen community during the graduation rites of 38 participants under the Good Agricultural Practices Training of Trainers Program, which is geared towards the tribe’s Abaca Project. Tabernero heads the Community Relations Office (CRO) of TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVIRD) at Sitio Balabag, Bayog Municipality, Zamboanga del Sur.
He represented the company in the activity spearheaded by Timuays (Chieftains) Lucenio Manda and Casiano Edal of the Piksalabukan Gukom Di Bayog – an organization of Subanens of this town.
Tabernero said the training provided participants the scientific guidance in producing quality Abaca fiber that will enhance their competitiveness in the local and international markets. It also provided them tips on crop protection, pest control and natural protection against diseases, effectively enhancing their inherited livelihood and transforming it into sustainable agriculture.
To date, TVIRD distributed 5,000 Abaca seedlings to farmers in Barangay Depore – which is part of the company’s Social Development Management Program.
Economic independence
When he told his audience to “multiply the bread,” Tabernero was referring to the royalties that the tribe will earn from TVIRD’s upcoming gold and silver mining operations here in Balabag. With their training, their Abaca Project has the potential to succeed since it will now have funds for production.
He also advised them to spend their royalties prudently. “The goal is for the tribe to achieve economic independence since mining is not permanent,” he added.
On his part, Timuay Manda understands that mining is not forever. Whatever the tribe will earn from it “must be spent on projects embodied in the Community Royalty Development Plan (CRDP) approved by the NCIP. We will see to it that the opportunity given to us will not be wasted,” Manda declared.
“It is always a comfort that we have the backing of TVIRD who understands our needs,” he said.
Why Abaca?
When asked why they opted for this particular maiden project, Timuay Manda said that Abaca can sustain their future and the next generation can benefit from it.
He explained that Abaca is suitable to the type of soil and terrain of Bayog town. “It can be harvested in two years and the price is good. What is needed is our interest and diligence to plant,” according to him.
Manda also said the tribe will soon create the Indigenous People Social Enterprise tasked to purchase the Abaca fiber that the planters will produce in order to maximize their earnings.
“Walay middlemen nga makapahimulos kanamo tungod kay kami ang mamalit ug kami usab ang mangita ug merkado para sa among lanot. (There will be no middlemen who will take advantage of us because we will buy and sell our products to the market of our choice).”
According to the Philippine Fiber Industry of the Philippines (PHILFIDA), the country is the largest global producer of Abaca fiber, supplying about 87% of the world’s requirements for the production of cordage and specialty papers for currency notes, stencil paper, teabags, coffee filters, furniture and fixtures, textiles, cosmetics and skin care products, to name a few. It also helps boost the local economy with Php4.7 billion in average annual export earnings.
It is with these prospects that Manda is hopeful that the project will give them the opportunity to gain economic independence. Some 50 beneficiaries will be provided with technical support from TVIRD, tribal leaders and the government.
Harmony and inclusion
The tribal leader disclosed that the Subanens’ ancestral land covers 28,000 hectares across 22 barangays of Bayog town.
“In our plan, non-tribal communities in our area who are interested to join the project are very much welcome. We do not want them to feel discriminated – a feeling prevalent among indigenous people all over the country,” he added.
“With their inclusion, there will be harmony in the community,” Manda concluded.
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