Making Strips, Weaving Lives

Hard Work and Success according to MS Nonito Ignacio, Bariw Producer

By Sally R. Villasis

Representative

Regional Applied Communications Group

Aklan State University

Bariw has made life a challenge for Nonito Ignacio, Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) of Nabas FITS Center in Aklan.

In 1992, this native of barangay Nagustan, Nabas, Aklan was only 20 years old when he started producing bariw. Then, Aklan was producing and processing bariw into novelty products and items for tourists and even for export.

At the time, MS Ignacio was amazed because Aklan was gaining worldwide attention for its craftsmanship in bariw. This encouraged him to plant and produce bariw fiber in his own capacity. From that time on, bariw has always been a lucrative means of livelihood for MS Ignacio.

Now a supplier of fiber for the bariw processors for almost 20 years, MS Ignacio has always made sure that his marketing strategies are in place. His bariw fiber stocks are available at their home to meet the demands of the processors in his area.

Enthusiastic and personable, MS Ignacio was chosen MS by the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) for the Nabas FITS Center in Nabas, Aklan through the coordination of Aklan State University (ASU), its partner member agency.

Planting and Growing Bariw

MS Ignacio starts bariw production with clearing the area needed for planting the palms. From the forest, he collects bariw seedlings with 5 to 10 leaves each. For each hill, he digs a hole 6 inches deep and allows 3-meter distance between the hills. Next, he clears and fences the surrounding area of each hill to protect them from stray animals. He then proceeds with mulching using cut grasses.

Harvesting Bariw

MS Ignacio harvests leaves from bariw plants aged 2 ½ to 3 years. In harvesting bariw leaves, known as pagsasa(Aklanon or Akeanon term), he begins by cleaning the bariw palms. He cuts from the bariw trunks only the long and mature leaves. To cut the leaves far from reach, MS Ignacio either climbs the palms or uses a scythe fixed at the end of a bamboo or wooden pole to reach them. Then he gathers the cut leaves, and collects 32 pieces to form one bundle. A sleeping mat, for one, can be made from 7 bundles with 32 bariw leaves each.

Stripping

MS Ignacio then proceeds to pagriras, or the removal of thorns and midribs. He removes both the thorns at the edge of leaves and separates the midrib or the hard portion of the leaf. One bundle cut into halves will therefore produce 64 pieces. By this time, the bariw leaves are now ready for hanging and drying.

Drying

MS Ignacio is now ready for paglamayo ag pagbuead, or drying the leaves, which involves two steps. First, he dries the leaves for three days by hanging them outdoor making sure they are not directly exposed to sunlight. This allows for the gradual removal of moisture from the leaves. Second, he dries the leaves to dry under the sun for a day or two, after thorns are removed from them. If thorns are not removed, bariw leaves will be crumpled which makes the production (smoothening and softening included) of a pale fiber material difficult.

Smoothening and Softening

After which, MS Ignacio proceeds to pagbaebae, or softening the leaves. Dried bariw leaves are normally rigid and would thus need to be smooth and soft so they can be woven. To produce smooth texture, he starts pressing(pagpaepag), using a club (bowling pin-shaped wood) or a solid flat stone or wood. He lays the dried leaves on the stone or wood and pounds them by a wooden club. When they are softened, he presses using his bare fingers and palms (known as paghilad) one leaf at a time to flatten them, doing this repeatedly until he attains the desired softness.

MS Ignacio says that it is best for “two persons to soften the leaves, it produces a peculiar rhythm, just like the beat of the drum.” The working partners usually proceed with paghilad four times, after which the bariw fiber is then stored for 3 months. Only by then will the fiber is ready for processing.

In an ordinary day, MS Ignacio makes a maximum of 200 bundles of bariw at P4 per roll, which earns him P800. His thrice a week production (12 times for four weeks) gives him P9,600. For the transport of bariw from the farm to his house where it is sold (approx. 2 km), he incurs P400 monthly (8 liters of gas at P50 per liter), which gives him a net income of P9,200.

MS Ignacio hopes to become a leading bariw producer in Aklan. “I hope Aklan becomes a major producer of quality bariw products. We have a great province. We should be proud of it,” he says.

The nitty-gritty of bariw production, however, is not the only trade for MS Ignacio. When he is not into bariw production, the hardworking farmer attends to his two hectares of land planted to rice and vegetables and where he also raises pigs and chickens. He also sidelines through the operation of a sari-sari store and coco lumber hauling in their barangay.

With all these skills, capacities and activities, MS Ignacio proves to be a hardworking farmer, who has been pounding his way to reach his goals for his wife and children. Today, working well and hard on a 3-hectare bariw farm, he enjoys the success that others can only dream of.

Though he has undergone many hardships and difficulties, MS Ignacio expresses optimism, saying “If we don’t look at things in a positive way, it will be extremely difficult for us to survive in any business, and in life.”

Sino Ang Tunay na Bariw

The Success Story of MS Marbelyn Narso, Bariw Processor

By Sally R. Villasis

Representative

Regional Applied Communications Group

Aklan State University

Photos by Sally Villasis and Niño Manaog

Marbelyn Narzo must have been destined to be a bariw processor.

At the age of 12, this native of Buenavista, Nabas, Aklan was introduced to weaving bariw (or pandan palm and buri palm) into sellable products and has since been in the business for the last 33 years. Even though those early days were hard, Narzo now looks back to the experience with pride and gratitude.

Currently the Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) of Nabas FITS Center, Narzo considers bariw processing a decent job. Having been exposed to the industry of bariw processing at a young age, MS Narzo has mastered the processing of bariw products. From bariw, Narzo makes hats, mats, placemats, wall décor, flower vases and tissue folders, among other novelty products.

Nabas FITS Center is monitored by Aklan State University, (ASU), its partner member agency (PMA) under the auspices of the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC).

In various instances, she also acted as trainer for other bariw processors in her town of Nabas and the neighboring town of Ibajay in Aklan. In recent years, she also reached Bohol as resource speaker where she shared her expertise to other processors.

For her raw materials, MS Narzo uses green bariw leaves. She removes the thorns and midrib of the leaves, a process locally known as pagriras. Then she hangs the leaves to air dry for about two to three days and exposes them to sunlight for one to two days. Locally, these steps are called paglamayo ag pagbuead.

After which, Narzo has the dry leaves softened thru pagpaepag (pressing). She then rolls and strips them using a stripper. The size of koehad (strip), Akeanon for sliced strips, depends on its use. Only then are the bariw leaves ready for weaving. One bundle usually consists of 32 pieces of green bariw leaves.

Hats. MS Narzo finishes two hats in a day, spending 8 working hours. A hat which costs P25 is made in 4 hours giving her an income of P50 daily. The bariw weaver says she earns P25 per bundle of bariw leaves less P5 for materials and P20 for labor. With average of two hats made per day, she can produce 40 hats for one month.

Bags. MS Narzo can weave one bag measuring 4” x 15” x 12” out of two bundles of bariw, and sells them at P150 each. When expenses are deducted, P10 for materials and P20 for labor, she earns P120 for one bag. She can make one bag per day or 24 bags per month, which earns for her some P3,360 per month. In making bags, MS Narzo is assisted by the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) in the designs.

Coin Purses. MS Narzo makes four coin purses out of one bundle of bariw leaves. She sells them at P20 market price, or P80 for four pieces per day. After deducting P5 for raw materials and P20 labor, Narzo earns P55. MS Narzo says she can turn out 4 coin purses in one day or a total of 96 pieces per month.

Placemats. From a bundle of bariw leaves, MS Narzo produces four placemats which she sells at P25 each. After deducting P5 for raw materials and P20 labor, she earns P75 daily from these products. Working for 20 production days, she produces 80 placemats a month.

Now, things are looking up, working in favor of this diligent weaver. Currently market is good for processed bariw leaves in Boracay and Kalibo and even overseas. For Boracay alone, MS Narzo delivers a total of 60 bags, 30 hats and 24 coin purses on a weekly or twice a week basis. These and other opportunities make MS Narzo smile. She says her success can be credited to her experience.

Having been in the bariw industry for more than three decades, she has seen the highs and lows of their local economy. But MS Narzo expresses optimism. For her, every Filipino has the skill he or she can use to achieve. “It all depends on how badly you want to excel,” she says.

MS Narzo enjoys spreading the word on bariw processing because she believes it’s real livelihood through which household women at home can earn a living and take care of the family at the same time.