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.

Organic certification featured at WESVARRDEC techno summit

By Vishia Mae Tolcidas

Representative
Regional Applied Communications Group (RACG)

FITS OPA Negros Occidental

When consumers buy products that are certified organic, they get more value for their money and are protected against fake organic products.

This is according to Organic Guarantee Officer Robert Gasparillo of the Negros Island Organic Certification Services (NICERT) during the first Regional Techno Gabay Summit and TechnoMart at the Amigo Plaza Hall in Iloilo City recently.

The Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC), techno summit's convener, deemed organic product certification important to its members because it serves as tool in the commercialization of science-and-technology-based products.

SWEET FOR MY SWEET, SUGAR FOR MY HONEY

According to WESVARRDEC Director Joseph Edward Idemne, the consortium will push for the certification of Antique’s muscovado sugar this year. Photo shows Hamungaya muscovado represented here by Ms. Joyce Pachoco during the WESVARRDEC TG Summit.

The WESVARRDEC summit was attended by Magsasaka Siyentista (farmer scientists), members of colleges and universities, and representatives of the Farmers’ Information and Technology Services (FITS) Centers in Western Visayas.

According to Gasparillo, producers likewise benefit from organic certification because they could already sell their products at premium prices in both local and international markets. Certified-organic products enjoy brisk sales in Metro Manila, Europe, Canada, Japan and the US because they are healthy and chemical-free.

Gasparillo said small farmers like the muscovado producers of Antique are a priority of NICERT. “They could avail themselves of funds under the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 which provides for 900 million pesos for the first two years of implementation,” he said.

Organic certification covers the whole production process based on documents and field visits, and is cost-efficient because it is partly subsidized by the Negros Occidental Provincial Government.

Like WESVARRDEC and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCARRD-DOST), NICERT assists clients in the technology transfer and promotion of their certified products.

Established in 2007, NICERT has already certified the products of 20 individuals, smallholder groups and firms from Negros, Iloilo and Cebu. These products include fertilizers, vegetables, herbs, root crops, fruits, grains, coffee, sugarcane, meat and poultry, aquaculture, and processed foods.

An independent, third-party organic certification body that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), NICERT is an offshoot of sustainable agriculture and rural development initiatives geared towards making Negros Island the Organic Food Bowl of Asia.

TSKI shares product dev’t expertise at WESVARRDEC summit

By Isaac Abello

Staff

In the first Regional Techno Gabay Summit led by the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) recently in Iloilo City, Engr. Reynaldo T. Ambao, director of micro enterprise development program of Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc. (TSKI), shared the expertise of their organization, along with various speakers coming from different organizations and agencies.

With years of experience in enterprise building and product development particularly with micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the region, Ambao lectured on product development, which involves a number of components, namely: market research, product design, product test and product launch.

Ambao showed the audience samples of packaging materials to the participants such as polypropylene and polyethylene bags, stand-up pouches and vacuum bags.

According to Ambao, MSMEs should document their product development process in order for them to know the proper details of their product and make it as a product manual.

Ambao likewise promoted the services offered by TSKI including loans for MSMEs and business development services such as product development, technological trainings, advisory and business consultancy. TSKI also assists MSMEs on matters related to marketing, trade fairs, market matching and showrooms.

GOOD THINGS COME IN GOOD PACKAGES

Promoting the primacy of packaging in the basic marketing of products, Engr. Ambao of TSKI shows the WESVARRDEC audience a sample of their packaging material.

Philfoodex inspires entrepreneurs at WESVARRDEC Technomart

By Isaac T. Abello

Staff

WESVARRDEC

"You eat with your eyes," said Emmanuel Reyes of Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization, Inc. (Philfoodex), speaking on product marketing, before the participants in the first regional Techno Gabay Summit and Technomart hosted by the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) in Iloilo City recently.

Admiring the products displayed in the summit, Reyes said that West Visayas has many agriculture products to be proud of but still needs some fine-tuning in order to make them more attractive to consumers and investors.

Reyes said that products must appeal to customers, quoting his Japanese colleague who said that “you eat with your eyes.” This means that products must satisfy the eyes first. They should first attract the customer visually.

“Dapat napakasarap o napakagandang tingnan ang product mo [Your product must taste delicious and look attractive],” Reyes said. A product that easily catches customers’ attention is well packaged. Therefore, packaging plays a vital role in selling and positioning of products.

MS Tubongbanua's mango process products (see photo) project the freshness and delicacy that cannot fail to attract the common buyer. (Photo by Geffrey Ian Galvez, FITS OPA Guimaras)

Reyes said that the merchandising of the products is also crucial, meaning that products should be properly placed or located in the display shelf of the grocery or department store in a way that they stand out in an attractive way in the display area.

Moreover, entrepreneurs should not produce anything if they don’t have the necessary and sufficient raw materials because they may not satisfy their clienteles and customers in the near term. For Reyes, one could only be successful if he has the passion of doing it.

Philfoodex, a non-stock non-profit organization of food manufacturers and exporters in the Philippines with more than 200 members to date, envisions being an internationally renowned Philippine food organization which adopts practices that contribute to environmentally sustainable businesses and enhance competitiveness in the global market to benefit members, employees, customers, stockholders and the community.

Philfoodex also seeks to work closely with industry partners and the government to sustain the country’s economic growth, monitor critical issues that affect Philippine Food sectors, and help government in its thrust on food security and abundance.

Philfoodex also helps the government in its thrust on food security and abundance. Their role is not only to sell the products but take care of the products and producers. Philfoodex calls this backward integration, in that they take care of farmers and producers because if there are no farmers who produce the products there will be no products to be exported.

PCARRD promotes PSF at regional TG summit

By Isaac T. Abello

Staff

Science in every product, value addition, market and industry-driven, analysis and market matching, networking and clustering. What do these terms have in common?

They are keywords to Pinoy Science and Technology for Farmers and Entrepreneurs (PSF), the new modality of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).

During the Regional Techno Gabay Summit and Technomart led by the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) at the Amigo Plaza Mall recently, Dr. Arturo Argañosa, officer-in-charge of PCARRD’s Technology Outreach and Promotion Division (TOPD) announced the new PCARRD program.

According to Argañosa, while commerciable products are the endpoint of research and development, the inadequate supply of quality raw materials, lack of markets and, lack of access to S&T information and technology are basic problems that should be addressed if we are to attain a science-based enterprise.

Under the new modality, the Science and Technology-based Farm (STBF) is from where the supply of raw materials come. Assisted by the partner member agency and led by the Magsasaka Siyentista, the STBF involves the identification and application of Science and Technology interventions for identified focus commodities in order to increase productivity and produce quality products.

Technomart, meanwhile, involves fast-tracking the movement of S&T products from source to the markets, using a variety of rolling up strategies in partnerships with business organizations in the government and private sectors. This involves products and marketing activities that cover product marketability assessments, product promotions, product research and development, value addition and creation, technology transfer and value-chain analysis.

The One-Stop Information Shop (OSIS) will facilitate the information and technology on the S&T involved. Involving strategic communication integrating IEC-ICT partnerships and networks with facilities like the regional/provincial OSIS, showrooms and business hubs, OSIS is the venue for discussions on products, knowledge sessions, market matches & business mentoring, media conferences & product advocacies.

“Business knowledge key to enterprise development”–PCARRD

By Isaac T. Abello, Staff

Regional Applied Communications Group (RACG)

WESVARRDEC

During the Regional Techno Gabay Summit and Technomart sponsored by the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) at the Amigo Plaza Mall in Iloilo City recently, Prof. Cesar Frias, assistant director of the Applied Communications Division (ACD) of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), shared key insights for business and marketing.

Speaking before farmer producers, farmer scientists, researchers, extension workers and other stakeholders from across Western Visayas, Frias stressed that being an entrepreneur or agri-preneur requires one to have the basic knowledge before engaging or committing in any type of enterprise—small or big. For Frias, it is imperative that aspiring entrepreneurs be equipped with business intelligence to avoid failures and lapses.

PCARRD ACD Assistant Director Cesar Frias (right) updates information on mango processing technology by MS Rebecca Tubongbanua (left) during the Techno Gabay Summit. According to Frias, PCARRD deems business intelligence important in enterprise building

According to Frias, food industry should be priority concern because it is one of the biggest sector contributors in our economy, even as food is everyone’s fundamental resource. Frias added that agriculture is “the central and foundational craft of economies.”

Citing the four aspects of marketing—product, price, distribution, and marketing, the PCARRD ACD assistant director said that individuals or groups venturing into business must consider quality ingredients and comprehensive research and development as primary factors to attain and produce worthy products.

While innovation and packaging of products are also crucial to product development, market scenarios and trends should also be considered. These include consumer preferences like the fortification of food with vitamins and other healthy ingredients, organically produced and new flavor introduction. To best distribute the products, Frias cites neighborhood stalls, small stores, open market, and supermarkets as the best outlets to sell them.

The regional Technomart was joined by the consortium’s Partner Member Agencies (PMAs) and Farmer Information Technology Services (FITS) Centers across the region.