Carlota Agnir, 40 and president of the Sta. Praxedes ‘Sarakat’ Women Weavers Association, traveled to Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya to attend the 7th Regional Organic Agriculture Congress at the Carlos M. Padilla Convention Center.
She was excited, elated, and inspired that their livelihood product, the customized ‘Sarakat’ handmade bayongs, was finally launched through the Department of Agriculture (DA) initiative.
“We are grateful for the guidance, support and assistance of our National Government Agencies such as the DA, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Tourism, among others,” Agnir said.
The weavers’ journey to success started with small beginnings in 2007 when plain housewives began producing floor mats made of the ‘Sarakat’ or Pandan leaves grown in their environment.
The abundance of their raw materials in the mountains, coupled with the passion of the women weavers, inspired and prompted the local government unit of Sta. Praxedes to give livelihood capital to the women weavers, who organized themselves as a livelihood group.
Since then, they have started crafting more intricate designs for ‘bayongs’ in various sizes and colors using the ‘Sarakat’ leaves, which the LGU buys through its One Town, One Product center.
National Government Agencies also came to offer programs to further develop, promote, and boost the production of ‘Sarakat’ Bayongs as a profitable and sustainable livelihood project of the Sta. Praxedes women weavers.
“At present, our male partners are also involved in harvesting our raw materials from the mountains. Our children are now involved in weaving ‘Bayongs’ in the hope that our skills and livelihood will be taught and transferred from one generation to another,” Agnir, the association president, said.
The ‘Sarakat’ Bayongs, depending on sizes and designs, are sold from P180 to as high as P600 a piece.
They were exhibited and sold during the 3-day 7th Regional Organic Agriculture Congress at the Carlos Padilla Convention Center in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya recently.
Agnir however said that the number of their women weavers has declined over the years from more than 100 to only 50 at the moment due to death, and greener pastures abroad.
“Nonetheless, we are encouraging our fellow women in our town to get involved in this livelihood project as it helped us in sending our children to school. It is a productive endeavor because we are also earning a minimum wage by producing and selling 2 pieces of our products,” she said.
Agnir also expressed praise and enthusiasm over the conduct of the yearly ‘Sarakat’ Festival in Sta. Praxedes, Cagayan to promote and boost their products to local and international markets.
Orders for their products now come from restaurants and hotel/resort owners in Cagayan which they sell among their customers.
“We are happy because we have proven that idle moments spent in ‘Marites’ conversations can become productive by engaging in this rewarding livelihood endeavor,” Agnir said. (BME/PIA NVizcaya)
