By
Emmanuel D. Taghoy
DIPLAHAN, Zamboanga Sibugay – Subanen
women from Sitio Sakaon in Barangay Guinoman in this municipality have
undergone a three-day training on handicraft making conducted by the National
Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) last Jan. 9-11.
With a P60-thousand budget for materials and food for
the participants, 30 Subanen women belonging to “Pigsalabukan Glebon Subanen de
Guinoman” turned up to attend the said training.
NCIP-Zamboanga Sibugay chief Marita Laguitan-Miñao said
the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also assisted in the conduct of the
said training by providing a trainer who taught the participants basket weaving
in different designs.
“They already knew how to
weave, so what we did was provide them with quality livelihood training with
DTI providing us a trainer who is also an IP (Indigenous People) in the person
of Pelaez L. Tunggos,” Miñao said.
“We have also noticed that
they have great supply of rattan. So, proposals were made for the project,”
Miñao told the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in an interview.
Miñao also narrated the
difficult journey her group went through in going to the area where they have
to cross two rivers before reaching the place which is at the foot of the
mountain.
Though the journey was
arduous, the NCIP personnel were happy to see the smiles of the participants
who were all raring to learn from the activity.
Miñao also expressed her
gratitude to DTI for extending its assistance in the training, as she hinted
that a similar undertaking might be conducted again to the IPs. (PIA9)
