ARMM Officials: FPRDI Lakbay Aral an Eye-Opener
“The FPRDI Lakbay Aral (study tour) has been an eye-opener. It has given us bright ideas on how we can make use of innovative processes to add value to our products and develop our local economy.”
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| (Left) ARMM and FPRDI officials led by Deputy Director Felix B. Tamolang (in printed polo) observed how water hyacinth stems are processed after drying. (Right) DOST-ARMM Regional Secretary Myra M. Alih (rightmost) with other DOST officials inside the Taguig Water Lily Arts and Crafts in Taguig City. |
This was how Ms. Myra M. Alih, Regional Secretary of the DOST-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), described her team’s study tour at various Forest Products Research and Development Institute’s (FPRDI) technology adopters on 24-26 June 2014.
The ARMM contingent visited water hyacinth processing cooperatives and handicraft makers in Laguna, Metro Manila and Cardona, Rizal. All the coops, namely – Laguna Water Hyacinth Producers’ Association, Taguig Water Lily Arts and Crafts,Samahanang Kababaihan ng Brgy. Patunhay, Inc. – make use of the FPRDI Water Hyacinth Dryer for their raw materials.
Solving the region’s water hyacinth problem has been a major problem for ARMM officials. According to Alih, more than 20,000 hectares of the plant clog the tributary stream of the Liguasan Marsh, one of the largest marshes in the country. Every year, during the rainy season, this results in severe flooding and water pollution in Maguindanao and neighboring areas, and endanger the livelihood of fishermen.
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| Ms. Tess Donato, the manager of Magic Clean (in orange) talks about the demand for dried water hyacinth in the local market. Magic Clean buys raw materials such as capiz, water hyacinth, pandan and banana leaves which are processed into wall panels, tiles and other high-value products for export. |
Added Alih, “From our tour, we saw that the hyacinth can be used to make highly profitable handicrafts, provided thatthe basic requirements are in place – high product quality and product development, and a ready market. We are thankful that FPRDI has linked us to the Magic Clean Company, a huge potential buyer of semi-processed water hyacinth.”
As a result of the Lakbay Aral, Alih said she is going to invite all the economic clusters of the ARMM to sit down and craft an improved livelihood plan for the region. “ARMM has 53 barangays and we plan to give P1 million to each barangay as seed capital for viable livelihood projects,” she continued. “We want to mobilize the people into cooperatives, and strengthen existing coops.”
She added, “Mindanao is the food basket of the Philippines and ARMM is in Mindanao. Because of our very fertile soil and ideal climate, we growa variety of importantcommodities that we can harness not just for food, but for products that have economic impact. We have exotic fruits like mangosteen and durian, as well as lanzones, seaweeds, rubber, corn, palay, cassava, camote, and of course, water hyacinth. We need to find ways to add value to whatever it is that we are producing right now, and we need the help of the FPRDI and the DOST to do this.”
Among those who also joined the tour were staff from the Office of the Regional Vice Governor, Office of the Executive Secretary, and ARMM cooperatives. ## (Apple Jean C. Martin and Rizalina K. Araral, 14 July 2014)
