Fibers of hope

NORTH COTABATO, PHILIPPINES — Raised by abaca farmers, Cristina, 51, followed the path of her parents. She learned how to grow and sell products made of abaca or manila hemp, a species of banana endemic to the Philippines.

“This is the livelihood we know and have grown to,” Cristina says.

Abaca farming, like other forms of agriculture-based livelihood, gives little to occasional income to families. Abaca matures within two years and can be harvested three times a year.  Harvesting abaca is labor intensive as each stalk must be cut into strips, scraped to remove the pulp, and then the fibers are washed and dried. An abaca tree can have 15-30 stalks.

Abaca fibers are known for their strength and are often used as specialty papers. Although abaca fiber production is a million-dollar business, Filipino abaca farmers earn meagerly.

Christina shares that their life was hard. She has five children, most of whom are going to school. Her husband, also a farmer, sometimes accepts extra labor for additional income. There were days when the family would eat bananas instead of rice, a staple food among Filipinos. With teary eyes, she recounts how her children would rush home from school to check if there was any banana left to eat.

Only hope

World Vision recognizes the potential of families growing abaca in Christina’s community. Thus, the Abaca Project was initiated to support abaca farmers, particularly women, to develop and utilize abaca, which is their main source of income.

The Abaca Project provided training to women in the community on various products that can be made out of abaca fibers. In no time, the women are producing more abaca-made products. “We had no idea that there’s more to abaca than just being fiber. We didn’t know we could turn these into bags, coasters, hats, and more,” Christina shares.  

Women of Manobo descent, an indigenous people in the Philippines, soon gained expertise in weaving fibers and turning them into new products. Hesitant at first, they quickly integrated into the small business.

“Our first bulk order of abaca coasters gave us around Php70,000 ($1,190). It was the first time that we received such a huge amount of money.,” Cristina shares. “The money was divided among the 20 women Abaca Project members.

“All the women in our community have now learned how to sew abaca,” Christina smiles. In the past, most mothers would spend their time gossiping outside their houses or checking their children’s heads for lice.

Today, they continue to receive bulk orders for coasters and gift bags. “We can now buy clothes and slippers for our children, and we can afford to have rice with meat three times a day,” Cristina shares proudly.

“I am truly grateful for World Vision’s presence in our community. Without your support, we wouldn’t have realized the opportunities in front of us,” Cristina shares joyfully. “Now, we finally had hope.”

The abaca products made by women are also being showcased during town activities. The women’s group is also committed to sustaining their livelihood by joining training and seminars with World Vision and other partners to expand their business.

Join us in our mission of transforming the lives of children and their families. Learn how you can help change a child’s life. Visit worldvision.org.ph.