Quality Fibers Command Better Price
Believing in the potential for abaca as a viable source of livelihood to uplift their community in Zamboanga Sibugay, Celsa and Jimmy Badlis established and registered the Peñaranda Abaca Planters Association (PAPA) in 2013 with an initial 32 farmer members. Following this, the association grew and expanded their combined abaca plantation area to 154 hectares contributing directly to the boom in abaca fiber production in Kabasalan in 2015.
However, with the growth in production came the burden of high hauling and transportation costs and the need for additional trading capital to buy and consolidate high-quality fiber as part of their expansion.
With the help of the Provincial Local Government Unit of Zamboanga Sibugay, PAPA became the recipient of the P14.2 million worth “Abaca Trading with Support Services to Processing” subproject which is funded under DA-PRDP’s Second Additional Financing and European Co-Financing Grant.
The enterprise subproject, which is now 75.55% completed, includes the construction of abaca facility with truck shed, mobile spindle machine, hydraulic baling machine, hauling truck, purchase of S2, SI, and AD1 quality abaca fiber.
With the turnover of the hauling truck and 12 units of spindle-stripped machines, PAPA is now able to not just increase their production but also improve the quality of their fiber.
“Quality fiber begets quality price” PAPA President Celsa Badlis said. “These new machineries from DA-PRDP helps us improve the quality of our fiber and allows us pass the quality standards of our institutional buyer New Tech Pulp.”
The subproject also generated additional employment where PAPA now employs its women members who were trained as abaca classifiers.
The association hopes to expand their operation by purchasing an additional 10 hectares of land for abaca in the future and attract more members to join. The association hopes to become a Class A trader of abaca fiber in the Zamboanga Peninsula upon completion of their consolidation center and installation of baling machine. (Remai Alejado, RPCO 9)
