WOMEN’S MONTH FEATURE

KURE for the environment

one plastic sheet at time

In times when coastal clean-ups report sacks upon sacks of plastic garbage lifted out from the sea, the shores and near households, members of the Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI) Tagbilaran City are taking matters in their own hands.

This is KURE’s way of tackling the environment, empowerment and economic development.

Composed of solo parents, battered women, women with physical difficulties, plain housewives and unemployed or underemployed women also threatened by the wanton disregard of people in discarding plastics, the group of 225 women decided to be part of the solution by venturing out into a livelihood from collected garbage.

Seeing the scattered plastic bags not just as eyesores littering in our streets and communities, we looked for ways these can be recycled or repurposed to give these a new lease in life, shares Rowena Bernales, who was experimenting repurposing dried leaves into decorative materials then.

Bernales, who was unemployed from Cogon District said anything she could do to help beef up the family income would be fair game.

It was simple and it was something that women would naturally do: keep plastic bags after using them, pick up those that they can find littering their communities and wash those that have dirt in them so they could be snipped into tiny strips to be later heat-pressed.

“In was in February of 2018, when the Plastic Recycling Project for Increased Women’s Income (PRP4IWI) introduced a non-conventional recycling project through innovation and technology to start off livelihood and improve lives of families,” Erickson Nangkil, product designer helping the women recalled.

With tons upon tons of plastic bags discarded every day, the challenge is even bigger in Tagbilaran: the gateway for tourists coming to Bohol.

What to do with the plastic and how technology and innovation can be used was another challenge, however, in partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Education and the City Government, the idea of heat pressing was presented by a Japanese volunteer Chrisato Kanno.

The next challenge was how to digitally fabricate a heat-press.

That time, another Japanese volunteer Shiro Takaki designed the heat-press machine which they fabricated locally.

It was a heavy machine, but it worked in such a way that the plastic strips we laid out for the press finally stuck, the colors remained and the texture hardly noticeable, Berlie Reyes, KALIPI Federation President recalled, happy that they had finally found the right heat-press setting to produce what they envisioned as plastic sheets from plastic bag strips.

These strips were laid in a discarded tarpaulin, and pressed into plastic sheets as raw materials for new products.

Women, over 200 of them has tasks to do for the day: others were to simply pick and gather plastic bags, sort them into the same colors, wash them, dry and then straighten the creases so they can be easily snipped into strips when dried.

These sorted plastic bags are sent to their fabrication shop where another group of women snip these into thin strips.

And then another group gather these strips, arrange them according to their desired colors and ready them for the heat press.

Still another group of women manhandle the equipment, making sure they get the proper fit, temperatures and settings which can ultimately determine the thickness of the plastic sheet by-product.

This we did for over a year without pay, everyone volunteering and giving out their free time, shares Reyes, who was also marveled at the therapeutic effect of women working out in groups and sharing their life stories.

“Until now, we could not fully describe how happy we were when we had the first sheet coming off the press,” Bernales recalls, the memory still freshly imprinted in her glittering eyes.

In its sheer form, the pressed plastic comes in 12 x 14 inches, A2 sized, with specific thickness, and an option for glossy, matte or textured finish.

These are then the raw materials alternative to acrylic plates, countertop laminates, fake capiz shell sheen for a variety of home and fashion applications.

From these tarpaulin-backed pressed sheets come bags in many forms: totes, backpacks, school bags, ID and passport holders, wallets, billfolds, purses, keychains, bracelets. Table coasters, mouse pads, slippers, home accents and wall decors including lampshades.

Now organized as Kalipi Upcycling Resource Entrepreneurs (KURE), creating livelihood from upcycling waste plastic bags and discards is their way of reinventing plastic bags into sheets and making somebody’s home beautiful using practically somebody’s trash.

Now presenting a creative solution to the growing concern for plastic waste which takes almost an eternity to decompose and has started filling the ocean and the world’s biggest resource.

Most of these women desire to have financial freedom, something they can call as their own earning contributing to the family table, but they were never given the chance to do while working full time as housewives. Here, we wanted to achieve our goals environment, empowerment and employment, said Ellen Grace Gallares, PRP4IWI consultant.

And while stories of people living off the garbage gets a fair share of media exposure, KURE women continue to snip the edges of the trash issue, into strips, to be heat pressed and give the ugly crumpled non-biodegradable plastic another chance of a beautiful life.

And as they say, for every purchase of a KURE product, a kilo of plastic is saved from choking the ocean. Or something like that. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

SNIPPING AT THE PROBLEM. Members of KURE snip sorted out plastic bags into tiny strips so these can be heat-pressed into plastic sheets which can now have a multitude of decorative and practical applications in homes, fashion and industries. (PIAbohol/KURE)

CASH FROM SOMEBODY’S TRASH. KURE women upcycle discarded plastic bags into plastic sheets which become the raw materials for other home and fashion design applications, while providing women income, empowerment and taking care of the environment. (PIABohol)

TRASH TALK. A women KURE member shares their story during the Provincial Ecological Solid Waste Management Plan Updating Workshop facilitated by the Bohol Provincial Environment Management Office. KURE is one of Bohol’s ESWM best practices. (PIAbohol)

STEPPING ON TRASH. KURE’s solution is simple: Use trash by upcycling, and making beautiful things from everyone’s discard. Now, KURE pays P324 a day to women in their production shop, which is already something substantial from plain housewife, whose plastic discards can get to slowly kill the family she takes care of. (PIABohol)

First of bi-monthly 3-day agrifairs open

Tweaked KADIWA sets direct

selling venue, market linkage

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol March 16 (PIA)—With a fitting tweak, KADIWA NG PANGULO opened at the old Tagbilaran City airport for its inaugural three-day fair with 53 agri-producers, 24 One Town-One Product (OTOP) handicraft products and 46 food and refreshment stalls for a total of 123 exhibitors offering the freshest, newest and reasonably affordable goods for Boholanos and tourists.

In other areas where Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita (KADIWA) is a day-long selling and market matching event, Bohol opted for 3 days of active interaction between consumers and producers as well as bulk buyers from Bohol Association of Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants and tow existing Chambers of Commerce and industries here, says Provincial Administrator Aster Caberte.

The tweaked 3-day Kadiwa in Bohol opens on every 15th and 30th of the month, Caberte announced during the opening program’s welcome remarks.

The three days of products direct selling allows farmers from distant agricultural communities and micros small and medium enterprises (MSME) prolonged market for their products, save on transportation and logistics as well as establish producer linkages with government agencies into product enhancement and development.

“At the end of the day, it is our aspiration that farmers get mataas na kita (high sales),” Caberte, who sat as undersecretary for the Department of Trade and Industry explained the Kadiwas primary purpose.

As government enablers, we do not stop to inspire them to continue food production by providing market linkages for our marginal farmers and fisherfolks who have been deprived of a good marketing platform to sell their products, Caberte said.

“OK gyud kaayo, makatabang kaayo namo paghatag og maayong exposure sa amo’ng products, said Cecilia Oroc, a pastry baker and among the last surviving bakers or a Spanish cracker fare during fiestas in old Bohol times.

Oroc sells tinapay, as well as cookies, which caught the DTI product enhancement team offering technical her assistance in her product labels, during the fair’s second day of sales.

Oroc is just one of the 123 exhibitors in this inaugural KADIWA NG PANGULO.

The DTI team also hinted of an electric drier that would allow the baker to continue production even during ill weather.

Tinapay doughs do not fare well when cut when there is no sun, as the edges would tend to be frayed.

She stands as the last baker in her family lineage, and revealed that there is money in baking, especially getting her products into the tourism market, although the younger generations have yet to get to know the tinapay.

Meanwhile, Bohol governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado sees KADIWA as an incredible promise for Bohol and its people.

KADIWA mission is to empower farming communities by establishing a direct and efficient farm-to-consumer supply chain where farmers can directly sell their agricultural produce to consumers, as well as provide the perfect opportunity for local MSMEs to market their products by eliminating unnecessary marketing layers resulting in higher earnings from producers, the governor explained.

While the farmers get better earnings, the consumers on the other hand get the freshest fruits, vegetables, rice, fish, processed food and handicraft products at low prices.

Aumentado calls the KADIWA a smart response to soaring prices and sustainable drive for food sufficiency and agri-development.

KADIWA embodies values of unity, cooperation, empowerment of local producers, and signifies the government’s unwavering commitment to uplift lives of Boholanos in under-served communities.

Using the venue to link the local chambers of Commerce and industries as well as hotels and restaurant operators, PA Caberte said our ambition here is not just spot sales, but negotiated sales and booked orders for our farmers.

She said her reason for inviting Bohol Association of Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants is for their members to meet with the local producers so they can tap fresh local supply helping the producers some more. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

FOSTERING SOCIAL INCLUSION. Gov Erico Aristotle Aumentado said KADIWA nga Pangulo jibes with Bohol’s promotion of sustainable development, enhanced economic inclusivity and is in line with the local strategic change agenda of smart, resilient and inclusive province with climate smart agriculture and enabling environment for business and MSME development. (PIABohol)

BONACGA. A livestock farmer displays his native bred two months old chicken sold at P120.00 each. Member of the Bohol Native Chicken Growers Association (BONACGA), these farmers are staunch advocates for organic agriculture and brought to the 3-day KADIWA their best organically grown stocks. (PIABohol)

TINAPAY. Crispy crackers, along with torta masa or Torta Boholana were staple fares among fiesta merienda offerings in Bohol in the 70s and 80s. With bakers families now shying away from the cottage industry, it may not be long before the tinapay would be inducted into the lost memories of old Bohol. (PIABohol)

KsPIA tackles price control
Communities can help shape
local prices of goods via LPCC

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, March 16 (PIA)—The Local Price Coordinating Council (LPCC) which Governor Erico Aristotle wants re-constituted in every town in Bohol would empower people to be part in the determination of local prices, especially when these are deemed inaccessible and unreasonable to most Boholanos.

And while its design for setting up, reactivation and reorganization is suited for calamities, Bohol could not just sit and wait for calamities to happen before the LPCC is reactivated.

Thus says Trade and Industry Development Specialist at the Department of Trade and Industry Alvin Acosta, during the recent live-streamed Kapihan sa PIA from the Philippine Information Agency Studio in Tagbilaran City.

“Kinahanglan, before sa kalamidad, duna na ‘tay gihimo nga mga steps, aron… dili man kita mangandoy nga maabtan ‘tag kalamidad, pero sa natural nga lihok sa atong environment, moabut man gyud na siya, andam na ta.”

“We ought to have steps already done before the calamity arrives, even if we do not wish this to happen, the way nature moves, it will come and when it does, we are ready,” Acosta said.

As calamities come, the price act mandates all implementing agencies to issue price freeze or price ceilings for all products covered as per implementing agencies, as to the respective laws.

“How else can we put up price ceilings if we do not have the pre-calamity monitored data?” he asked, pushing for the most immediate reconstitution of the LPCC.

Nindot siya nga atong i-activate tungod kay makatabang ni sila nato inig kuha na unya sa mga data kon ang atong mga LPCC sa kalungsuran, nakahimo na sa ilang price monitoring activities.

“Its nice to activate this as the LPCC can help gather data when the LPCC starts to function and join price monitoring activities,” Acosta added.

Among the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) from the local executive order creating LPCC, it specifies the local membership led by the governor or mayor, vice chaired by the DTI based in the national law IRR.

Its members are the agencies implementing the price of their products, DA, DOH, DOE, NEDA, DENR, representatives of manufacturers, traders, agricultural sector, retailers sector representatives or their local counterparts in the towns and the sectoral reps based on the mayor’s appointment.

Now these councils in the towns, who are locally appointed by the mayor, are there to harmonize the government programs of every implementing agency, based on the situation, so they could complement each other’s implementation.

And as the DTI issues suggested retail prices (SRP) considering the price coordinating team comprised of manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and everyone in the value chain represented before they can agree on the win-win SRP, LPCCs are also supposed to do the same considering inputs from representative members.

On the other hand, if the LPCC has monitored the local prices and established a trend, they can recommend suggested retail prices and price ceilings in their jurisdiction, also based on their indepth study and analysis on every price movement in their jurisdictions, see what has caused the price spike and from there, establish the price caps.

And in cases where there are price manipulation and unreasonable increases, the LPCCs can make steps to stop the practice, like recommend to the implementing agencies who have jurisdictions of the overpriced product actionable points.

After all, DTI’s Acosta said the LPCCs are there for price monitoring and for crafting strategies to protect consumers.

RA 7581 or the Price Act which mandates that the government ensure that basic and prime commodities are available to consumers at a reasonable price at all times

This happens as cases of illegal practices like profiteering, establishment of monopolies and cartels and hoarding which occurs most of the times during calamities that the Price Act becomes the last defensive stand. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

COMMUNITIES CAN HELP IN PRICING. With the LPCC being reconstituted in the towns, this allows the communities to sit in the council to monitor prices of basic necessities and commodities as well as make indepth analysis on the price fluctuations enough to be keeping track of unreasonable price spikes and recommend suggested retail prices in their jurisdiction, says Alvin Acosta, DTI Bohol . (PIA Bohol)

From 3.8% in January 2024
Headline inflation in Bohol
climbed .2 % in February

CORTES, Bohol, March 16 (PIA)—Raw inflation in Bohol based on the monthly consumer price index increased from 3.8 percent last month to 4.0 percent, but the figure is still much lower than the inflation in February of 2023 which was at 9.4%.

With the re-based consumer price index for all income households from richest to poorest based in 2018, the purchasing power of a Philippine peso in Bohol now is about P122.90, when the 4.0 percent inflation rendered the peso then, at a market value now of P.81 centavos.

Based on the data presented by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) during its regular monthly press conference at the PSA Office Friday, the local inflation rate is some 0.6 percent higher than the national inflation at 3.4, and still higher than 1.3 percent over the regional inflation rate which was at 2.7 percent.

Aside from Bohol’s increasing inflation rate, the same is noted in the entire country in general at 3.4 from 2.8 a month earlier and 2.7 percent from 2.5 percent recorded in Central Visayas las January.

Provincial Statisticain Jessamyne Anne Alcazaren pointed out the higher year-on-year crawl in transport registering 1.1 percent from -1.1 percent in January, plus a jump to 0.2 percent from a negative 0.6 percent in January 2024 and the 0.1 percent increase in inflation in restaurants and accommodations services at 7.8 from 7.7 in month prior, fed the uptrend.

Had not the inflation in food and alcoholic beverages tamed a bit, it would have been a much higher headline inflation for Bohol.

PSA noted the lower inflation in food and non-alcoholic at 6.7 percent from 7.2, alcoholic beverages and tobacco from 8.3 percent to 8.0 percent, clothing and footwear from 3.9 percent to 3.6 percent and other indices like furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, health, recreation, sports and culture as well as personal care and miscellaneous goods and services all showing 0.1 percent declines, sobered the inflation rate.

The lower inflation rate as seen in foods and non-alcoholic beverages, restaurants and accommodation services and furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, weighted down the provincial inflation rate.

Foods and non-alcoholic beverages comprise 67.1 percent share, restaurants and accommodation services get the 8.8 percent share and furnishings and household equipment and routine household repair and maintenance services owning up the 4.8 percent share already eating up the 80 percent of the inflation data pie.

In fact, according to the PSA, food inflation braked a bit to 7.0 percent from 7.5 percent in January of this year.

In Bohol, the slow movement of the price indices in slaughtered meat from 8.3 percent in January to 5.7 percent this month stalled the food inflation so well despite the scrimping supply with the local rice farmers scampering to get irrigation water to salvage the plants they risked planting off the regular season.

The rains in December and January this year pushed farmers to gamble considering that the El Niño is getting harder by the coming months and rice planting may not be a much viable option in the drought.

Indices in fruits and nuts also displayed a good price performance from 21.7 percent in January to 15.5 percent and fish and other seafoods from 2.2 percent to 1.4 percent. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

MAKING DATA AVAILABLE MONTHLY. PSA Bohol chief Jessamyne Anne Alcazaren detailed the headline inflation as tracked from the consumer price index of a basket of goods. Based now on the 2018 consumer price index, the 4.0 percent inflation makes the Philippine peso now equivalent to P 0.81 centavos. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)