TIGBAO, Zamboanga del Sur, August 6
(PIA) – Rattans are superficially similar to bamboo, with long internodes
between the leaves, and slender stems 2-5cm in diameter. They are not trees but
are vine-like, scrambling through and over vegetation. But unlike bamboo,
rattan stems are solid. They have spines which act as hooks to aid climbing
over other plants. Rattans have been known to grow up to hundreds of meters
long. Most of the world’s rattan supply come from Indonesia, Philippines, Sri
Lanka, Malaysia and Bangladesh.
Raw rattan is processed into several
products to be used in furniture making. It is very good material mainly
because it is lightweight, durable, and to some extent, flexible. It is extensively used in making
furnitures, baskets and other decorative works.
For this reason, an enterprising couple
in Tigbao, Zamboanga del Sur, Danilo
and Brigette Ytang ventured into the rattan business in 2008 finding that
rattan abounds in the nearby mountains of Biswangan, Lakewood and Bayog,
Zamboanga del Sur, although they also access rattan materials from Bayugan,
Agusan del Sur.
Starting
with a capital outlay of P20,000, Danilo and Brigette started their business,
consequently registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as CSE
Sawmill and Technocraft Industry. It is conveniently located along the National
Highway of Tigbao and their product display easily catches the attention of
motorists and passers-by.
Much
as the couple wanted to expand their business, having several orders from
clients, one problem seemed insurmountable - the financial outlook.
The
Department of Science and Technology offered to help through the acquisition of
machine for their rattan business with a total cost of P300,000.
However, the couple opted to turn down the offer since they have no capital for
the purchase of supplies and to buy a transformer needed for the installation
of the machine.
In
the recent SME caravan held in Pagadian City, they were invited by the DTI to
air their problems in their business and to find ways how the government can
extend help. DTI offered designing and packaging of their products but the
immediate concern of the couple were on the financial aspect. They needed cash
capital for production.
Speaking
with representatives of government banking institutions like the Land Bank and
the Development Bank of the Philippines, they aired their problem since they
would fall short of one vital requirement, that is, a land title as collateral in
order to avail of a loan package.
“Gusto
gyud unta mi mo-avail sa maong tanyag sa bangko. Ang problema lang kay wala mi
titulo sa yuta nga gikinahanglan aron makahulam mi ug puhunan sa bangko (We
want to avail of the offer. But the problem is that we have no land title which
is needed so we could borrow money from the bank),” Brigette sadly narrated.
However,
they were able to avail of a loan package from the First Valley Bank in the
amount of P100,000 using their family vehicle as collateral.
“At
present, the machine we have is that which splits and slices the rattan in
different sizes and a sander and we have put up an investment of P200,000 for
this business,” Brigette said in vernacular.
“Ang
gihimo namo, gi-roll na lang ang among kwarta sa negosyo. Kung naay mo-advance
ug bayad para sa order, mao to among ipalit ug materyales. Dako kayo ang among
tinguha nga makakuha mi ug dugang capital kay di pud mi makadawat ug daghang
orders kung kulang among puhunan gawas pa naa mi gisweldohan nga 7 ka sakop
(What we did is we roll the money in the business. If we receive advance
payment for orders, we use it to buy the materials. It is really our desire to
have additional capital because we cannot accept several orders if we lack
capital, aside from that, we employ 7 workers), the couple explained.
The
rotational brownouts hamper their operations and sometimes fall short of the
due date for delivery of orders.
“Our
desire is to obtain help from the government through an easier borrowing
scheme. We do not possess a land title but only tax declaration, that is why we
find it hard because this is the document needed for the approval of loans from
government financial institutions,” Danilo and Brigette further said.
But
despite all the odds, the couple are optimistic and determined that they will
weather the storms in their business venture, and eventually be successful in
the rattan industry in this part of the country. (ALT-PIA9/Zambo Sur)