Skip to content
OurVote2022logo
mindanews-fact-check-logo-1
  • Business
  • Peace Process
  • Governance
  • Travel
  • Arts & Culture
  • Special Reports
  • Mindaviews
  • Pictures
Menu
  • Business
  • Peace Process
  • Governance
  • Travel
  • Arts & Culture
  • Special Reports
  • Mindaviews
  • Pictures

Almaciga: Lighting up lives in Governor Generoso (Last of Three Parts)

  • H. Marcos C. Mordeno

-

  • August 8, 2019
Share this story

Sustainable income

GOVERNOR GENEROSO, Davao Oriental (MindaNews/08 August) – The Biodiversity Partnership Project covers 12 of the town’s 20 barangays namely, Sergio Osmeña, Tandang Sora, Upper Tibanban, Oregon, Tiblawan, Luzon, Surop, Tagabebe, Pundaguitan and Tamban.

It involves 121 households, each earning an average of 8,000 to 10,000 a month from tapping resin, according to Joey Gamao. “But it depends on your effort because one of the tappers told me he’s earning up to 18,000 pesos a month,” he said.

Vice Mayor Vicente Orencia and Joey Gamao at the resin buying station in Governor Generoso. MindaNews photo by GG BUENO

“If you have 200 trees, for example, this week you can tap 50, another 50 the next and so on. By the time you finish tapping the last 50 trees you can now harvest from the first 50 trees. Bigger trees yield more resin. You’d harvest an average of half a kilo per tree,” Gamao said, explaining the cycle.

Cebu-based CRU International Corp. buys the resin produced by the tappers at 20 pesos per kilo. The company wanted to buy 15 tons per month from them but at present they can only produce eight tons, he said.

He emphasized that the tappers receive the 20 pesos per kilo for their resin intact. CRU pays for the trucking and shipping cost, P1.50 per kilo fee to DENR and P.50 per kilo mobilization fund for the barangays. “If we add these amounts, each kilo of resin would cost 31 pesos.”

The municipal government currently earns no revenues from resin. “Buhion usa nato ang tawo,” (Let us first ensure the people’s survival) Vice Mayor Orencia said.

“Our model is easy: fast transaction for tappers, only a permit from the DENR is needed. What we did was organize them into a Lumad Almaciga Tappers Association of Governor Generoso. They are paid right after they bring their resin to the bodega where it is weighed,” he said.

“A paint manufacturer wants to buy from us because our resin is cleaner compared to Palawan’s. We don’t let the resin spill on the trunk and into the ground. We clean the trunk and then put cellophane that would catch the resin,” he said.

He added that buyers from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore also showed interest to get resin from them.

But Gamao said the resin they produce at present is only 75-percent soluble, preventing them from commanding a higher price. To attain 95- to 100-percent solubility, he said they would need a melting machine.

“Once it becomes 100-percent soluble we can sell directly to Boysen. So I asked researchers to determine the location and soil type best suited to almaciga so we can achieve 100-percent solubility,” Orencia said.

Another source of income for the Lumad is almaciga seeds which the local government buys at 10 pesos each. “We have to give them incentives,” the official said.

The vice mayor said they previously used almaciga wildlings for their reforestation program but observed that these have a high mortality rate compared to seeds, which come out every September.

They had sent 1,000 seeds to Buda in Davao City where they are expected to grow fast due to the cool temperature and high elevation of the place. They are also expanding to Mati and Bansalan in Davao del Sur to cope with the growing demand for resin. Moreover, some Ata-Manobo from Paquibato district, also in Davao City, had trained in this town [in resin tapping].

“Every July 26 we hold a ritual in the mountain and then plant trees. After planting we would hold a tappers congress, a special day. That’s why some environmentalists are giving us attention because we plant almaciga yearly. We’re even rehabilitating an abandoned mining site,” Orencia said.

“I was invited to a Biodiversity Congress in 2016 and 2017. After my presentation the DENR said ‘Why didn’t you tell this to us earlier? We need that,’’’ Orencia said.

Last August 1, the town held its annual Almaciga Festival to celebrate what the project has done to improve the lives of the Lumad.

But beyond the festivity Orencia said they want to engage in value-adding by making the resin into a finished product. He added they want their project to be replicated in other areas of the country as a strategy for forest protection. (H. Marcos C. Mordeno/MindaNews)

Your perspective matters! Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We welcome diverse viewpoints and encourage respectful discussions. Don't hesitate to share your ideas or engage with others.
Advertisement
Rakrakan
Follow us on Facebook
Facebook
The MindaNews Podcast
-- ad here--

TOP STORIES

NorMin produces less amid increase in coffee bean production nationwide

Froilan Gallardo September 23, 2023 10:19 am

Approval, trust ratings of Bongbong, Sara down – PUBLiCUS Asia survey

H. Marcos C. Mordeno September 22, 2023 2:46 pm

3 ex-Sayyaf members surrender in Sulu

Frencie Carreon September 21, 2023 8:05 pm

Groups urge Filipino youth to remember martial law

Antonio L. Colina IV September 21, 2023 4:29 pm

Brgy officials with no lechon experience win Iligan’s ‘Indigay sa Litson’

Marivic Omandam Davis September 21, 2023 12:16 pm

MINDAVIEWS

KINURISKURIS: San Pedro Cathedral

Keith Bacongco September 17, 2023 2:51 pm

BATANG MINDANAW: To my 22-year-old writer self 

Jhon Steven C. Espenido September 17, 2023 2:51 pm

TURNING POINT: Responding to the Extended Provocation

William R. Adan September 11, 2023 3:13 pm
Read more MINDAVIEWS

BUSINESS NEWS

18 homegrown cafés joining Davao Coffee Crawl

Antonio L. Colina IV September 20, 2023 3:12 pm

25 delegates from Mindanao to join international expo in Sabah

Antonio L. Colina IV September 13, 2023 2:00 pm

Senator Villar cites EU’s GSP+ during tuna congress

Bong S. Sarmiento September 7, 2023 5:21 pm

Davao Region’s inflation rate lowest in Mindanao

Antonio L. Colina IV September 5, 2023 9:53 pm

Japanese firm looking for more suppliers of coconut-based food products

Mindanews August 31, 2023 2:35 pm

95 exhibitors to join Davao Agri Trade Expo

Antonio L. Colina IV August 23, 2023 5:48 pm

ARTS & CULTURE

Sarangani writers showcase literary works in Philippine Book Festival

Genory Vanz Alfasain August 27, 2023 4:11 pm

INTERACTIVE MAP | Cagayan de Oro Higalaay Festival 2023

Yas D. Ocampo August 25, 2023 2:00 pm

Davao City Events | Palawud x Holodeck, Budots: The Craze

Mindanews August 19, 2023 10:10 am

Kadayawan Festival 2023 event guide

Yas D. Ocampo August 7, 2023 4:01 pm

The MindaNews Podcast: Aubrey DS and the creative pursuits that drive us

Mindanews July 10, 2023 7:06 pm
eric gancio of yano

The MindaNews Podcast: Davao-based Eric Gancio and the return of Yano

Yas D. Ocampo June 2, 2023 5:15 pm

MindaNews is the news service arm of the Mindanao Institute of Journalism. It is composed of independent, professional journalists who believe and practice people empowerment through media.

23C Saturn St. GSIS Subdivision, Davao City Philippines Tel. No.: 082 297 4360 editor [at] mindanews.com
Facebook Twitter

© MindaNews 2016 -2023 | All Rights Reserved

About Us

Privacy Policy