Rediscovering the wild but useful seagrass

LOCALLY-known as ragiwdiw and bankuan in Bicol, the seagrass (Rynchospora corymbosa) is a perennial plant species which grows abundantly in the flood-prone areas of the region.

While it is considered as useless by some, the dried stalks from seagrass can be hand-twined which can be used as raw material for handicraft-making.

The twined material or salapid could then be used to produce different products like native bags, slippers, hampers, and decorative items.

The material is now being used in some parts of the region which resulted in seagrass craft-making, a promising income-generating opportunity for the farmers.

From the plain-looking hand-woven slippers to embroidered bags and embellished baskets, the seagrass craft-making in San Fernando, Camarines Sur has up-scaled into a full-blown home-based enterprise, providing additional income for the rice farmers in the flood-prone areas.

According to the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 5 (DA-RFO-5)-Bicol Integrated Agricultural Research Center (BIARC), majority of the flood-prone rice producing areas became unproductive, thus, additional expenditures for the purchase of herbicides and labor are needed to remove the different weeds and grass-like plants which emerged following the flooding.

“In the project site, while many people use various weed species as forage for animals, ingenious farmers surprisingly explored the promising and potential uses of seagrass,” says BIARC manager Luz R. Marcelino.

She says that the best characteristic of seagrass is its apparent resistance to mold when stored for a longer period of time.

Thus, to further develop the seagrass enterprise, BIARC implemented the project titled “Enterprise Development in Flood Prone Areas in Camarines Sur.”

Funded by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), the project aimed to provide opportunities for rural employment, increase family income, and empower communities through the development of agri-business enterprise.

The project targets to: develop rice-based production systems within the framework of integrated farming systems approach; identify researchable areas for optimized seagrass-based enterprise development; and, develop a village-level handicraft production enterprise.

To support the local farmers to meet the increasing demand for seagrass in the local handicraft industry, BAR extended institutional support through the provision of common service facilities and production equipment.

After the completion of the project, BIARC will continue its efforts in up-scaling and expanding the seagrass craft industry in Camarines Sur.

The agency then tapped the creativity and entrepreneurial skills of Bernadette B. De Los Santos, owner of Bidibidi Enterprise, a social enterprise that combines fashion, arts, and up-cycling while providing livelihood opportunities for the local women and out-of-school youth in Baao, Camarines Sur.

It was learned that De Los Santos is part of the Gender Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation of Women project, a Philippine-Canadian brainchild aiming to provide support for women to start businesses and obtain a better-paying job.

The project is now handled by the Department of Trade together with the Department of Science and Technology, DA, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Commission on Women, small and medium enterprises, and private sector representatives. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)

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