Advanced Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and Heartfelt Congratulations MAYOR JONO JUMAMOY
In his own big ways, the youngest mayor of the Philippines has carved an economic liberation of the poor raffia weavers in Inabanga. Press reports indicated that over 1,000 weavers from Bohol will likely, and in all probability, earn from the growing demand for raffia products from international markets such as Europe, United States and Japan. This is giving credit where credit is due. His untiring efforts as the town mayor of Inabanga have achieved the needed impetus to move forward with the marketing of finished products from raffia. I have always insisted that Inabanga ironically sits on top of an exploding economic volcano and like deposits of gold waited to be mined. This new development will graduate the town weavers from merely being raffia weavers to products producers. I can only hope that their finished products will command better prices for the commodities and bring about economic changes to our weavers. Now, it is the sworn duty of the mayor to insure that the weavers will not be exploited by the exporters and they will get a decent share of the financial bonanza.
If we remember right, Mayor Jono held a raffia festival in the town fiesta of Inabanga in year 2008, displaying the longest and continuing raffia in a two- kilometer display. This festival caught the attention of the world including the European Union council which thru its organization in the Philippines took official cognizance. Our latest news reports indicated there is a growing demand for raffia products all over Europe United States and Japan. At the sidelines of the inauguration of the new provincial officials of Bohol at the Bohol Gymnasium, I had shown Mayor Jono Jumamoy the interest of the European Chamber of Commerce to improve the raffia material with the use of sustainable materials for the world market From the 83 materials developed by the project called “Business Accelerator and Materials Innovation, 44 materials were chosen by the project's eight stakeholders namely BonAce Fashion Tools, Gracie Q. Ferimar Import-Export, Jim Caster International Pacific Traders and Manufacturers, Design Ventures Inc. Hacienda Crafts and Bohol Beads and Fibers.
These stakeholders and exporters converted the materials into fashion accessories, bags, gift items and furniture, which gained modest success and orders from both local and foreign buyers Ingrid Haufe, ECCP materials research and development manager of ECCP. The program which is also assisted by the European Commission Mart Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines Mart-Cebu (SMEs for Environment Accountability Responsibility and Transparency is also trying to develop a pool of weavers that are capable of making design patterns and mixed media applications based on latest trends. According to Haufer, indigenous materials are gaining popularity among the foreign markets due to the increasing preference of many consumers for environment-friendly products. Bohol and particularly Inabanga where there is the greatest concentration of good quality raffia along with the innovative and artistic designs by weavers will pitch a big hit in the world market. It is also a win-win situation for everyone – more demand means an increase in profit for exporters and more work opportunities for weavers. From August to September of this year, 150 weavers from Inabanga and Tubigon were trained to weave the materials for volume production. This time, they have to stick to strict international standards. There are also opportunities for tourism industry. Inabanga can also create a display center for actual raffia weaving like Indonesia in Bali and they have organized a trip to the cloth weaving factory. Again our warmest congratulations to the good mayor of Inabanga. May your tribe increase.
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