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Negros Sericulture Extension Project Negros Island has a history of sugar cane monoculture. However, poverty-stricken villages exist due to the fluctuation of sugar prices in the international market in 1980s. The Sericulture Project was launched to help improve the livelihoods of the people in the region and most of the participants live in the hilly districts of Canlaon and San Carlos. The region has an altitude of about 700 - 800 meters which is good for growing the mulberry trees that the silkworms eat. Slow but steady progress has been made with the enthusiastic involvement by the Center's staff, experts, trainees, and farmers. |
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| This Project was promoted with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency within the framework of the JICA/NGO Partners Program since 1999. The Bago Training Center promotes and oversees this project which also includes (1) Bago City Sericulture Center (located at Ilijan, Bago City, started in September 1998) and (2) Mabinay Sericulture Extension Center (located at Mabinay, started in March 2001). During fiscal year 2003 (from April 2003 to March 2004), 186 farm households took part in the Project on Promotion of Sericulture in Negros Island under the JICA-NGO Partnership Program, run by OISCA Bago Training Center, Negros, Philippines. From May 2003 to April 2004, 27 - 28 tons of cocoons were produced through the Project. Fifteen percent of that amount, or about 4,000 kg, was turned into high quality silk thread at the Bago Training Center silk reeling factory. The factory is capable of producing 12 tons of reeled silk per year. Improved de-gumming techniques make a better quality silk, because it is lighter in color and dyes more easily. Domestic demand for silk in the Philippines is still growing. The Negros silk sold for $24 US per kg as of March 2004, but the Project members didn’t gain their target profit of 25 ? 30 % yet. The high quality silk from the Project is shipped to an adjoining island of Iloilo. There, factories produce hand-woven traditional barong tagalog garments, using pineapple fibers for the weft and Negros silk for the warp. During the fiscal year 2004 (from April 2004 to March 2005), involving some 200 farming households in and around Bago City, the Sericulture Development Project produced about 20 tons of cocoons, which were made into 2.8 tons of silk at the filature built within the premises of the Training Center. This annual output accounted for about 83 % of the total silk production in the Philippines. In view of the steady progress and noteworthy success of the Project, the Government of Negros Occidental granted the Silk Display Center that was established in the premises of the OISCA Training Center. President Arroyo attended the Opening Ceremony of the Display Center on 2 March 2005. |
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New Development |
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| Staff members, who are OISCA training graduates, regularly visit participating farms to provide necessary guidance to rearing silk worms, and visit the new members more frequently. Sometimes they even stay overnight. These extension activities have proved to be very successful. Although some farmers have had problems with keeping the worms healthy, on average, production in the Project has increased. The goals of the extension activities are that each household will produce good quality silk, avoid diseases as much as possible, and attain increased production and incomes. While working with the member families, the Project staff realized that in order to communicate effectively the farmers need minimal math skills, which in many cases they don't have. Mathematical calculations help each participants realize the degrees of loss and success, and the reasons for them. The Bago Training Center extension workers calculate the amounts of total silk production for the year and the average amount produced per member. Then, they identify households that have not achieved the average and explore the reasons for the failure. This is fully discussed between the workers and the farmers. Each day, the staff members and extension workers discuss their activities and how to streamline their work. Most of the staff members and extension workers learned about raising silkworms from expert sericulturists while attending one-year practical training courses in Japan. They know the same principles and theories, but actual techniques sometimes vary because of the dissimilar approaches of the teachers and mentors. However, they know that to achieve a desired result, there is more than one way and the same goal can be reached through different routes. The staff members are encouraged to share their experience and what they have learned as much as possible. They work in friendly rivalry to refine their techniques. |
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President praises “Philippine Silk” producers in Bago |
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| Along with the President, other VIPs including the Secretary of Agriculture, Governor of the Negros Occidental Province, a Congressman, Mayor of Bago City also saw around the Center. Secretary of Agriculture told Director Watanebe that the central Government would like to support the expansion of the sericulture project to benefit the people also in other parts of the country. As of March 2005, the Project had about 200 farming households. They produced 83% of the total domestic production of silk, while major part of domestic consumption in this country is met by those imported from overseas. They now proudly call their product “Philippine silk.” About 80 % of the silk produced by OISCA Project in Negros was exported to Panai to feed their traditional hand woven industry. The rest 20 % were sold to dealers in Manila. A survey conducted in March 2005, revealed that on an average, one cocoon producing family gained additional monthly income of 10,000 pesos out of their sericulture. An advantage of sericulture is that all family members can contribute to the work of raising silk warms. It does not overburden any one member of a family. Because of this income generation, they could have better and more nutritious diet, and could provide better education to their children. Encouraged by this success, the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental secured about 500,000 pesos to set up a Silk Product Display Center in support of further development of sericulture in the Province. On completion of the construction, the Provincial Governor requested President Arroyo to inaugurate the Center on 2 March 2005. Many dignitaries who visited the Sericulture Project accompanying the President, realized how this Project had achieved the exceptional success. The Project had a component of hand woven project. On a trial basis, this Center recruited four women hand weavers to weave silk cloth from the “Philippine Silk.” Due to increasing demand for the Philippine Silk, the Sericulture Development Project in Negros could hardly catch up with the demand. Nevertheless, given the wider publicity of this Project achieved after the visit of the President, Director Watanabe had a prospect of increasing number of farm families joining in the Project in the near future. Negros project also benefits farmers in Mindanao As another approach to enhance the production, and to have positive effects accrue with their facilities at hand, Director Watanabe requested Mr. Abdul Badao, former OISCA trainee, to promote sericulture in Moslem district in Mindanao. Mr. Abdul set up and ran a center where cocoon producers brought their cocoons and sold them to OISCA, and Mr. Abdul shipped the cocoons to Negros to make them into yarn at the OISCA's Silk Reeling factory. Mr. Abdul ably provided technical guidance to the farmers. This initiative was well received as this provided additional income to the farmers, and helped lessen the gap between supply and demand. Sericulture launched in Negros Occidental and spreading to other Provinces, provided multiple effects including poverty alleviation, social and political stability, and indirectly mitigating natural disasters, preventing soil erosion, securing water because of mulberry trees planted on formerly denuded land. |
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 Shigemi Watanabe |
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