The Tale of the 10,000 Coin Purses

    

I had been wishing for something to boost the morale of our Bagobo-Tagabawa weavers during this difficult time. I never expected that it would happen at the end of August. Louise Vas, PrimeCredit’s head of the OSW Marketing, informed me she wanted to buy items for promotional use in Hong Kong.

This was an incredible breakthrough after a long period of difficulties. I knew that the order not only would help the weavers and sewers financially, but it would also give them hope—hope that they can keep doing what they are passionate about and make a decent living. Since the pandemic struck, life has been a struggle; this order meant that they could continue weaving while earning a decent income.

PrimeCredit had earlier purchased products made in Bansalan. In 2017, they ordered 20,000 bars of natural soap with four natural extracts—raw honey, moringa, cucumber, and carrots mixed with fresh goat’s milk. The following year, they ordered 20,000 ID holders made of inabal, the Bagobo-Tagabawa traditional handwoven cloth. In 2019, we shipped 20,000 passport covers crafted out of the same material. We were all grateful for the opportunity.

The four consecutive large orders had a huge positive impact on our local community. Creating these items was an exceptional experience for them. The most important thing was they showed their capacity to meet bulk orders despite the challenging environment.

We had just shipped 20,000 passport covers to Hong Kong in 2019 when a series of devastating earthquakes shook Bansalan. Many homes of the Bagobo-Tagabawa weavers were destroyed. For over twelve months, they lived in overcrowded evacuation centers. All weaving activities were put on hold.

When the aftershocks subsided and the government assured them it was safe to go back home, we decided to carry on with our projects. But before we had a moment to act on our plans, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Because of lockdowns, the Bagobo-Tagabawa weavers had ample time to weave. Sadly, they had woven a considerable amount of inabal but had little prospects of being able to sell them off. Who would buy the Bagobo-Tagabawa products during such trying times?

WIMLER Foundation Hong Kong and WIMLER Philippines provided them with food support, but it was not enough. Because of the pandemic, PrimeCredit suspended giving gifts to their clients. We had no hope of an order from them. To help the weavers, I decided to buy inabal without knowing what I will do with them.

Finally, PrimeCredit confirmed their order for 10,000 purses made of inabal fabric on August 21st to be shipped at the end of October. I was hesitant at first because of the short production period. Could we make it? 

    

The key problem was the Bagobo-Tagabawa weavers only weave when they receive orders. They don’t keep stocks. They could not supply the inabal requirements within a reasonable timeframe if they still have to weave them. To meet the deadline, I decided to ask for help from the Tboli weavers in Lake Sebu. 

Next, I contacted sewers who were also looking for work after uncertainties caused by the pandemic. I asked them if they would take the order. With such a large order coming in, they mobilized more seamstresses. Stockpiling inabal during the pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise. My large stash enabled the sewers to start production right away while the women started weaving.

The weavers and sewers were not my sole concern. We needed reliable suppliers who can deliver accessories on time. I needed 10,000 pieces of tiny D-rings, hooks, and zipper sliders. In addition, I also needed zippers and meters of black cloth for lining, several rolls of colorful straps, and threads. I found a supplier in Digos City. However, since I needed large quantities, the items had to be ordered in Manila. They promised the items would arrive in four days and I was surprised they did! The logistics have improved a lot compared to a few years ago.

I cannot overemphasize the amount of work we put into this project. The abaca had to undergo multiple processes before it can be used for weaving. We needed people to cut and extract abaca fibers and separate the skins of abaca and transform them into fibers; the process is called hag-ot. Once stripped, the weavers pound the abaca fiber, a process known as doro in Bagobo-Tagabawa, within a day or two to prevent brittleness. The next step is to choose fibers and connect them end to end with a special knot and trim the excess with a small, curved knife.

Then they connect individual fibers again, fiber by fiber, to form a very long and fine thread and roll the fibers into a ball. The fibers are dyed into different colors depending on the chosen design. The Bagobo-Tagabawa inabal (ikat-dyed woven abaca cloth) is known for its colorful combination. Many individuals, including husbands and other family members, are involved in the processing of abaca, but the weaving is done by women. A single roll measuring four meters lengthwise and eighteen inches wide takes them two weeks to finish. Skilled weavers could finish a roll in one week

To sew 10,000 purses, a team of around ten people was contracted. This group of sewers lived in separate villages but stayed connected through text messages sent by the main cutter and sewer, an ex-OFW couple living in a remote area. All the handiwork such as cutting the inabal cloth, attaching linings, and adding straps and zippers was done by hand.

To produce the 10,000 purses, we needed 271 meters of inabal and 276 meters of t’nalak. In addition, we bought 10,000 zippers, sliders, D-ring, and hooks. We printed stickers, labels, and bought small brown paper bags. So, this project affected not only the weavers, sewers, and packers but also our local economy.

The last stage of production was inserting labels in every purse and placing them inside the brown paper bags and sealing them. I had three adults and four youths who helped to insert the labels. We were fortunate to have a group of students from the UM Bansalan College, led by their teacher, who came to help.

The production was far from flawless. Some accessories were broken and needed replacements right away, but the items were only available in Manila. It posed a bigger challenge to buy smaller quantities rather than bulk orders, especially with the tight deadline.

On October 30th, a van dispatched by Afreight, a forwarding company which has a branch in Hong Kong, collected 34 boxes to be shipped to Hong Kong. We made it a day before the agreed date.

 Our task was done. I thanked everyone involved in the production and could feel their appreciation. I was happy, too, and grateful to PrimeCredit for their efforts to support local businesses that empower local communities through skills sharing and cultural advancement. Thanks to them, we achieved some success.

As the weavers and sewers celebrated their recent success, the reality of the situation set in. They knew the PrimeCredit order was just a temporary solution to their continuing struggle to make a decent living. While it provided a much-needed boost, sustaining success was not assured.

We know we must strengthen and sustain the link to the market for their products. We must ensure we will continue receiving orders and making a steady income for our local community to rise from poverty. But the problem remained insurmountable. Linking local produce to the market is a perennial issue, as persistent and unyielding as grass.

 How often do local producers get such opportunities as they just had?

Author:

LEILA RISPENS-NOEL is a social entrepreneur and a development worker. Leila is co-founder of the WIMLER Foundation Hong Kong and WIMLER Philippines. She founded Xabukid, a social enterprise, to help the indigenous weavers promote their traditional products.