Thoughts on Change, Poverty, and Leadership at the Launch of the Coalition for Abaca Rehabilitation
Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) became the venue for an important event in the abaca growing areas of Region 8: the Launching of the Coalition for Abaca Rehabilitation in Southern Leyte, held on Feb. 2, 2015 at the SLSU Main Campus Plenary Hall.
The abaca producing region of Sogod, Southern Leyte and Leyte had been badly hit by the abaca bunchy top virus starting in the 2000s and still tries to get on the rebound.
“Eighty-five percent of Sogod is covered by abaca,” said Sogod municipal councilor Napoleon Regis in his welcome remarks at the Launch.
The Coalition brings together the local government unit of Sogod, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST 8), the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (Phil FIDA), the National Abaca Research Center of Visayas State University, the Department of Agriculture, SLSU, the Philippine Federation of Rural Broadcasters, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Eastern Visayas, University of the Philippines, and international NGO Worldfish which sponsored the event and pushed for the creation of the Coalition in partnership with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Worldfish also sponsored in September last year a national Stakeholders Consultation Worskshop for the Development of an Integrated Plan of Work for Abaca Rehabilitation, in which Sogod abaca came to the spotlight.
We are building this coalition “to address the various perspectives of the abaca problem in the country today, especially in Sogod” said Worldfish Regional Director for Asia Dr. Maripaz Perez who talked on Effective Partnerships in the ASS Program during the launch.
ASS is the Worldfish acronym for its Aquatic Agricultural Systems research program. Under the ASS program, Worldfish has established several pilot sites in the country with Sogod barangays – Mac and Mahayahay, as the only pilot sites in Region 8.
Worldfish commitment to abaca rehabilitation in Sogod is closely borne out of its community work on ASS with coastal barangays Mac and Mahayahay. “We used to ask the people ‘What is your strategy to get out of poverty?’” “They would say, ‘Rehabilitate coconut, Rehabilitate abaca. But rehabilitate abaca first,” said Perez.
“The shift to abaca and coconut is the strategy to relieve pressure on the sea, which has served as the people’s source of livelihood for so long,” explains SLSU Research, Development and Extension Director Veronica Reoma. “It’s giving the sea a break, and going into abaca and coconut for a livelihood. This explains what Worldfish is doing, even as they known for pioneering on aquatic systems.”
What we are after is an “inherent transformative change in the lives of the poor,” said Perez, and “using science and technology to address the need of the simple people in the community.” Perez was previously the undersecretary of the DOST and was referred to affectionately as “ang boss ko dati ” by DOST 8 Regional Director Engr. Edgardo Esperancilla in a speech at the launching.
“We want to change mindsets, and change LGU perspectives,” in the lives of the poor we are assisting. And “when you have a changed leadership, you already have a changed constituency,” said Perez. “And we need academic institutions that focus on teaching the young what really matters.”
In Mahayahay and Mac, abaca rehabilitation efforts started in 2013 when Worldfish tapped Visayas State University to conduct a rapid appraisal study on the viability of abaca rehabilitation in the two barangays.
The Coalition’s schedule of abaca rehabilitation activities for 2015 include training on post-harvest practices and on-farm evaluation of promising disease-resistant hybrids, as presented by Sogod Vice Mayor Rufo Olo during the Launch.
Careful with ‘Umbak’
The handling and transportation of the abaca outer leaf sheath locally known as ‘umbak’ was mentioned as a major factor in the spread of the virus. PhilFIDA Regional Director, Engr. Wilardo Sinahon said the outbreak of the bunchy top virus could be traced to Allen, Samar and spread through the provinces of Leyte and then Southern Leyte, largely by the inappropriate handling and transportation of ‘umbak’.
“It can cling on your clothing and farm implements,” said Dr. Luz Moreno of the National Abaca Research Center during the Launch. “A major factor that’s contributing to the spread of the disease are the practices that farmers are adopting,” she said. “That’s why when we go into planting disease-resistant varieties, mind sets also need to be changed.”
Moreno however clarifies that there are no bunchy top-resistant plants yet. Experiments are still on-going to determine the resistance of promising varieties being developed, she explained.
And what can PhilFIDA do to help turn back the tide on abaca? “After the virus hit the area, many abaca plots were converted to coconut. So what we would recommend is increase the plant density of areas planted to abaca and adopt the recommended scheme of fertilization,” said Sinahon in answer to the question in the open forum.
Eighty-two percent of the world’s supply of abaca comes from the Philippines, according to a PhilFIDA presentation last year. Ecuador supplies the other 17 percent. The current average number of hills per hectare is 993 lower than the normal population of 1,600 hills per hectare and effective abaca area in only 62%, according to the same report. Southern Leyte had the third largest area planted to abaca (14,995 ha.) in 2013, yet ranked only 12th in terms of volume (954 metric tons).
SLSU Involvement in Abaca
SLSU currently runs an Abaca Tissue Culture Laboratory. In 2013, staff from the SLSU Research, Development and Extension office visited abaca growers in Hilaan, Sogod who sourced their planting materials from the SLSU Tissue Culture Laboratory and who reported already harvesting abaca fibers from the tissue cultured plants.
SLSU’s attempt to look into the abaca situation have also included several researches led by staff from the Research Development and Extension office, among them the “Comparative Performance Evaluation of the Different Abaca Stripping Machines in Region 8” in 2006 by Reoma, Nestor Morales and Engr. Vivencio Pelesco who is now with Naval State University; a 2008 study on “Information Education Communication (IEC) Preference of the Abaca Farmers in Sogod Bay Area” by Reoma and the then SLSU Pesident Gloria Reyes, and which won an award for one of the Best Paper from the Regional Research Development and Extension Network for Agriculture and Fisheries (RRDEN) in the Cluster Agency In-House Review. And in 2013 former Research Unit Head and now SLSU-Bontoc Campus Administrator Dewoowoogen Baclayon did the study “Farmers’ Feedback on Abaca Disease Management Interventions in Major Production Areas in Sogod, Southern Leyte.”
The launch of the Coalition was participated by top management of the DOST 8 composed of the regional director, provincial director and science research specialists; PhilFIDA, and the National Abaca Research Center located in Visayas State University. Reporters from some national dailies were also present along with veteran broadcasters from the Philippine Federation of Rural Broadcasters. The key officials of SLSU were also present at the launching.
Mac barangay officials yell out the Coalition’s motto: Hayag ang ugma ta diha sa abaka!
Mahayahay barangay officials – all women, get recognized at the Launch.
Representatives of Worldfish, PhilFIDA and SLSU. (L-R:) Dr. Lily Ann Lando of Worldfish, PhilFIDA Regional Director Engr. Wilardo Sinahon, PhilFIDA Deputy Executive Director Engr. Petronilo Jabay, SLSU President Prose Ivy Yepes and Worldfish Regional Director for Asia Dr. Maripaz Perez.
Nearly all of Sogod’s municipal councilors were present. Vice Mayor Rufo Olo is at far right.
Government vehicles cross Sogod’s Subang Daku bridge in the motorcade following the Launching of the Coalition for Abaca Rehabilitation in Southern Leyte.