Muslim women assume a new role

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Women in a barangay in Shariff Kabunsuan province, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, have assumed a new role of providing food and income for their family.  In the past, they were relegated to perform household chores, take care of the children, and help their respective husband in the farm.

This more significant role of providing food and some income to their family has given more prominence and importance to the women of Pinaring, Sultan Kudarat town, who are now the role model of many other women in the ARMM.

 Indeed, they have learned to cultivate their own vegetable gardens as a result of a technical cooperation project of PhilRice and JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency] implemented jointly with the DAF [Department of Agriculture and Fisheries] in the ARMM [Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao]. 

The project covers the provinces of Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu, but it is only in Brgy. Pinaring where the women have made a great difference in their lives as housewives and community members.

On the whole, TCP 4 promotes highly diversified and integrated rice-based farming systems, called Palayamanan, to ensure food availability, profitability, and economic stability of farm families in the target areas.  In Pinaring, it’s the responsibility of the men to produce rice.

To make their group more cohesive and united, the women of Pinaring have organized themselves into the Kahipi Women’s Organization, which originally consisted of 46 members.  However, Noria Simpal, a Muslim and the leader of the group, said  there are now only 25 as a result of the death of two members, transfer of residence, and over-age [beyond 65].

What is notable is that even as Noria and her daughter Ay-ay are the only Muslims in the group, Noria is recognized as the rallying point of the Pinaring women, taking her as their leader.   It’s all because she has ably shown through her backyard vegetable garden that indeed women can equally provide food and income for their families as well as their husbands. 

Indeed, the availability of food from the garden and the income from it give much self-actualization to the Pinaring women.

Noria takes pride in a continuing income from her garden, as her daily harvest is more than enough for her family.  In our first  interview with her in May 2007, she had recently earned a total P24,800 : P1,300 from white gourd, P8,000 from eggplants, P7,800 from bell pepper, P3,080 from squash, more than P1,000 from 10 papaya plants,  P700 from 30 hills of tomato, and over P3,000 from banana.  

Magdalena Arconado, 57 and married to an Ilocano, has okra, bitter gourd, gabi, sitao, saluyot [edible jute], kangkong, malunggay and squash in her garden.  Although her family consumes a large chunk of her harvest, she still realizes some income from the excess: P200 from squash, P500 from bitter gourd, and P300 from gabi.

Veronica Romasanta, 56, likewise has earned as follows: tomato, P500; white gourd, P100; bitter gourd, P80; eggplant, P120; okra, P30; alugbati, P40; and kangkong, P20.  At the time of our visit, she only had more than 200 hills of pechay, six hills of bell pepper, and seven hills of eggplant while waiting for the dry season.

While most of the members consume all their produce, others still derive some income: Erlinda Ocal, 28, P300 from a hill of patola, bitter gourd, alugbati and camote tops; Carmelita Arconada, 43, P100 from white gourd; Elvira Alcones, 40, P330 from bitter gourd, sitao and squash; Teresita Magaling, 39, P130 from sitao, alugbati and camote tops; and Annaliza Villones, 37, P50 from sitao.

They said that although some neighbors now buy their produce, other neighbors still ask for free, as has been an old practice.

Even as some members are not able to sell any excess produce, they still continue to plant vegetables since they are saved from worrying about what to cook for the next meal.  Nelia Viloria, 31, whose husband cultivates a hectare of rice, had 10 hills of sitao, 17 hills of bitter  gourd, five hills of squash and saluyot around their house at the time of our visit. 

Teresita Magaling also has four rows (7 m long) of sitao, a row each of cassava, camote and alugbati (10 m long), and 10 hills each of bitter gourd and gabi, all for family use. 

Although they have been planting some vegetables in the past, the women said in group interview that it was not as good as now.  They said they learned new technologies from the project such time and method of fertilization as well as the use of improved varieties.  As a result, their yields have increased. 

In effect, “our income increased, and we have food ready to be cooked.  While we now have money to buy salt and sugar, our children also have some allowance in going to school,” they said.

As if it was a rehearsed answer to a possible question, they said: “We’ll continue to use everything that we learned from the project and we’ll not waste them. We’ll continue to add more proof for your confidence in us; we’ll not forget you people in the project.

One thing is certain from their pronouncement – they are now positive about the future.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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