Women’s Coop receives FPRDI Water Hyacinth Dryer
October 2, 2013
A livelihood cooperative that specializes in water hyacinth products was recently awarded with a water hyacinth dryer developed by the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI).
The Rizal-based Bangon Kababaihan Bagong Cainta (BKBC) cooperative received the dryer from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) - Region 4A under DTI’s “Shared Service Facility” project. The turnover was held last 9 September 2013 at the BKBC Livelihood Production Center.
“The local government of Cainta recognized the need to harvest the thick patches of water hyacinth in the Manggahan floodway that regularly cause severe flooding in their area. The collected plants are dried and processed into bags, wallets, home accents and other handicraft products by the women of BKBC,” said Ms. Grecelda A. Eusebio, Chief of FPRDI's Business Development and Intellectual Property Section.
The dryer shortens drying time of water hyacinth stalks from several days to only a few hours, thus lessening the risk of fungal attack. It enables small and medium enterprises sustain their production as the equipment makes drying possible even during the rainy season.
“Using the dryer, the cooperative can dry as much as 5,000 water hyacinth stalks a day. This is a welcome development since the BKBC supplies dried stalks to La Casa Décor, a company that exports water hyacinth wall coverings to 45 countries, including Canada and the United States,” explained Ms. Wency H. Carmelo of FPRDI’s Technology Innovation Division.
Among those present during the turnover were FPRDI Deputy Director Felix B. Tamolang, DTI Region 4A Director Marilou Toledo, former Cainta Mayor Mon Ilagan, BKBC head Veronica Ilagan, and representatives from the Villar and Meralco Foundations.
Some groups have also benefited from the water hyacinth dryer. In 2011, a unit was awarded to the Taguig-based Kabuhayan ng Mamamayan Producers’ Cooperative. Water hyacinth abounds in parts of Laguna de Bay and its tributaries which include Taguig River. Another unit was installed at the Pasig City Jail in 2012 to provide livelihood to inmates and locals being helped by the Pasig Livelihood Foundation.
Aside from developing the dryer and giving technical assistance to adopters, the FPRDI also conducts training courses on water hyacinth processing and treatment. Several groups of women and out-of-school youth, mostly from poor communities near Laguna Lake, have benefited from these courses. ### (Apple Jean C. Martin, 16 September 2013)
