Kiya po (Kaya po) kami ganito dahil sa KIYAPO (Water Lily)
Introduction
The water hyacinth has been introduced to a lot of different waters across the globe and has turned into a problematic pest almost everywhere. The physical problems brought about by water hyacinth are now common knowledge. Water hyacinth mats clog waterways, making boating, fishing and almost all other water activities impossible. Many large hydropower schemes are suffering from the effects of water hyacinth (Tacio, 2011, para. 10).
Bagaforo, (2011) stated that for more than 20 years, close to a hundred households in a small community in Barangay Wilfredo Aquino in Agdao, Davao City, have been pestered by water hyacinths, popularly known in the country as water lilies, that have tremendously grown in the area. This free-floating perennial aquatic plant has grown massively in a one-hectare swampy area in the community, which is now known as Purok Water Lily.
Brief Description about the Water Hyacinths
The water hyacinth has been introduced to a lot of different waters across the globe and has turned into a problematic pest almost everywhere. The physical problems brought about by water hyacinth are now common knowledge. Water hyacinth mats clog waterways, making boating, fishing and almost all other water activities impossible. Many large hydropower schemes are suffering from the effects of water hyacinth (Tacio, 2011, para. 10).
Bagaforo, (2011) stated that for more than 20 years, close to a hundred households in a small community in Barangay Wilfredo Aquino in Agdao, Davao City, have been pestered by water hyacinths, popularly known in the country as water lilies, that have tremendously grown in the area. This free-floating perennial aquatic plant has grown massively in a one-hectare swampy area in the community, which is now known as Purok Water Lily.
According to Joy Arbasto, a resident of the village that it was almost a long time that they never been use the water hyacinths. It grew fast and has been pestered their place even they are trying to clear and cut the plants but it continues to grow. Grace Urquiola, 42 years old, on her side said that water lilies had posed dangers to health and lives of the residents of their village. Water lilies in their area make a breeding ground for snakes, mosquitoes, rodents and other insects cause the residents alarmed and being panicked.
Since it becomes a serious problem, the barangay government has embarked on a program that will make the plant productive and not a nuisance. Through the initiative of barangay captain Leo Aquino, a training on water lily weaving was made possible in a bid to provide livelihood out of water hyacinths that had already posed dangers to the community.
Danny Jumawid, the purok leader of the water lily informed that Mitz Magtoto of ALE Party-list in Davao City, Barangay Aquino officials sought for their assistance on how they could provide skills training on water lily weaving for the women of Purok Water Lily. He said, ALE Party-list Rep. Catalina Bagasina talked to Villar Foundation, headed by Sen. Manny Villar and wife Cynthia, to conduct a skills training for the group of women of Purok Water Lily.
As part of its Sipag at Tiyaga Caravan, the Villar Foundation has been conducting trainings and organized livelihood projects on water lily weaving all over the country. The Foundation then sent a facilitator in Davao City to teach the group the knowledge and skills on how to starts a livelihood project out of water lily which is abundant in their place. They trained them how to make slippers, shoes, accessories, and household items out of water lilies. They also taught the participants various production processes such as harvesting, drying, and preservation of water lilies to the actual weaving, trimming, blow torching, gluing, dyeing and varnishing.
The livelihood project could give additional income to people especially to the women of the village without much difficulty because weaving really is an easy job. The participants of the two-day livelihood project training were also taught how to harvest water lily stalks and the proper way to sundry or ovendry the stalks.
According to Rosendo Torres, a trainer, the key to a good product is to ensure that the stalks are properly dried before being used. If the stalks still contain moisture then this can cause the product to rot quite quickly. Water lily products range from personal products such as sandals, shoes, handbags and shoulder bags, to household products such as rags, place mats, and even fruit trays.
This livelihood is a big help to them and water lily is no longer a nuisance. For the marketing, Magtoto vowed to assist the women of Purok Water Lily to promote their products. They now have orders from some of the hotels and talking other businesses who may want to try the products adding that they also tapped the Aguman Kapampangan, an organization of Kapampangans in Mindanao, to help the market products made from water lilies (Bagaforo, 2011).
This business will thrive. Just like in other areas, women of Purok Water Lily can weave products from water lilies that will satisfy the needs of the market. True enough, water lily weaving industry is now alive at Purok Water Lily.
Brief Description about the Water Hyacinths
Source: Online Information Service for Non-Chemical Pest Management in the Tropics (December, 2009)
Water Hyacinths: Scientific Name: Eichhornia crassipes
Water hyacinth is one of the fastest growing plants known to man. It is a free-floating plant, rising up to one meter above the surface of the water. The stem of it is erect and bears the flowers. The flowers are blue-violet or lilac, large, and attractive. They have six petals and one bears a yellow spot. The leaves are green to dark-green, round to oval, and glossy with leathery blades. The leafstalks (petioles) are thick and spongy and contain some amounts of air that enable the plant to float. Masses of fine branching roots hang underneath the floating plant. The plant is propagated by seeds and vegetative offshoots. The weed forms a dense mat that interferes with the flow of water in irrigation canals and serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. It competes with rice for soil nutrients reducing the yield when left uncontrolled.
How to make products out of the water hyacinths (water lily)
1. After harvesting the water hyacinth's stalks, cut the leaf or the tip of the stalks then wash it with soap then rinse it properly so that it will be cleaned.
2. Dry the stalks within four to seven days, be sure that there will be no more moisture of the stalks to avoid product rotting.
3. Then proceed to the process of making the slippers or any products out of the water hyacinths.
4. Put the dried stalks in roller polisher to flatten the stalks properly.
5. Then start weaving the flatten stalks, you can weave the flatten stalks using the wooden box, serve as your guide, to make a basket or weave the flatten stalks forming two dimension shape to make slippers and other products.
6. For slippers, cut the weaved stalks following the shaped rubber mat for proper sizes of the slippers.
7. Put together the shaped weaved stalks and rubber mat using the rubber paste or rugby. This step is called gluing which take several minutes to dry it.
8. Then put any decorative styles on the sides of the slippers or any desired product to make elegant and more beautiful.
How to make products out of the water hyacinths (water lily)
1. After harvesting the water hyacinth's stalks, cut the leaf or the tip of the stalks then wash it with soap then rinse it properly so that it will be cleaned.
2. Dry the stalks within four to seven days, be sure that there will be no more moisture of the stalks to avoid product rotting.
3. Then proceed to the process of making the slippers or any products out of the water hyacinths.
4. Put the dried stalks in roller polisher to flatten the stalks properly.
5. Then start weaving the flatten stalks, you can weave the flatten stalks using the wooden box, serve as your guide, to make a basket or weave the flatten stalks forming two dimension shape to make slippers and other products.
6. For slippers, cut the weaved stalks following the shaped rubber mat for proper sizes of the slippers.
7. Put together the shaped weaved stalks and rubber mat using the rubber paste or rugby. This step is called gluing which take several minutes to dry it.
8. Then put any decorative styles on the sides of the slippers or any desired product to make elegant and more beautiful.
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