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Integrated Ecosystems Management: National Program Support for Environment Collecting individual efforts together to overcome challenges and Natural Resources Management Project and achieve joint benefits in ENR management (NPS-ENRMP) An IEM Story: Community-Based Soft Broom Enterprise and Forest Rehabilitation in Basud, Camarines Norte Introduction for soft broom making, agroforestry, and The forestland of Barangay San Pascual in rainforestation. Over time, the sub-project Basud, Camarines Norte used to be like transformed the community from negligent other forests in the country, with the settled users to responsible caretakers of the forest. communities serving as agents of destruction This is their story. of the forests that benefit them. Prior to 2010, rampant were destructive practices like cutting “We had no other option then but to exploit of timber for sale to illegal traders, firewood and depend on the forest for our living,” gathering and charcoal making, and wildlife explains Pedro Zaldy Baliktar the president hunting. of SPCBRMI. “The forest was the only resource we can lay our hands on and we In early 2010, the Libmanan-Pulantuna had to support and feed our families.” It was Watershed Management Project (LPWMP) unfortunate then that the way they knew how started the Basud Watershed Rehabilitation to draw benefit from the forest destroyed and Management and Livelihood Development depleted that very same resource. They cut Sub-Project. This was financed by the World and burned portions of the forest to cultivate Bank (WB) and the Global Environment Facility as kaingin, transformed wood from the forest (GEF). The sub-project was implemented into charcoal, and felled trees to supply the by San Pascual Community-Based Resource illegal timber trade. Through time, the forests Management, Inc (SPCBRMI). The livelihood of San Pascual became barren and the fragile and forest rehabilitation sub project had soils at the hillsides got eroded, polluting the three components: tiger grass production rivers with brown sediment. Community-Based Soft Broom Enterprise and Forest Rehabilitation in Basud, Camarines Norte “The tiger grass production and associated home-based tiger grass plantations, they soft broom enterprise as well the introduced distinguished themselves as the only soft practice of agroforestry and rainforestation broom manufacturer in Bicol sustained by opened our eyes. We realized that we can its own raw material base. In contrast, other generate the cash and food that our families small time soft broom makers buy their raw need while taking care of the forest,” Mang materials from different sources. Pedro recalls. In their agroforestry farm, they planted trees like cacao, pili, anahaw, narra, As their operation grew bigger and more and nangka. In between harvesting seasons, stable, they also employed a string of workers while waiting for the trees to grow mature who worked daily to produce the supply of soft and bear fruits, they planted annual crops brooms demanded by the local market. Their like varied vegetables, hot pepper, root crops, operation reached soft broom production of and banana. These served as ready sources 300 to 400 units per day. of food and supplemental income. In all, There have been arrangements where mother they established 100 hectares of tiger grass and teenage son or daughter would work at the plantation, planted 63 hectares of agroforestry, shop for some hours for a fee, generating cash and reforested 135 hectares over a period of for household and school needs—something three years. which the beneficiary families appreciated so Meanwhile, they intermixed the planting of much. tiger grass in their agroforestry farms. When these already bore inflorescence and matured, Cost, Pricing, and Profit these were harvested and dried. Then they launched their soft broom enterprise. Mang The cost per unit of soft broom production is Pedro further recalls, “In the beginning, we PHP17: PHP10 for assembly, PHP5 for tying had few elders who were adept at making soft or bundling, and PHP2 for the installation of brooms, we tapped them to train the rest of plastic case at the handle. The finished product our PO members on making soft brooms from is sold at a market price of PHP57, giving a tiger grass inflorescence.” profit of PHP40 per unit of soft broom. Each worker is paid PHP150-PHP200, depending on their degree of expertise. There are 80 Soft Broom Enterprise to 100 individuals who are hired as workers The soft broom training and production center on a daily basis. Women and children also built through the LPWMP served as venue for form part of the work force, providing them honing their skill in soft broom making and opportunity to earn money for home and mass production of the commodity in the school expenses. village. Their PO has a total membership of 162 individuals (87 males and 75 females). Market Network They were amused that the soft brooms they practiced on and produced in the process Other than the local market in Basud, the of their training were already sellable and network for distribution and sale of their soft generated some cash for the PO. And so broom products includes Naga City, Lucena they plowed back these earnings to the City, Laguna, Metro Manila and Baguio City. operation and production of more soft As part of the packaging and promotion of brooms at a commercial scale. Since many of their product and product source, they have their members had earlier established their begun printing the name of Barangay San 2 December 2013 Pascual in every broom, similar to the red- lettered Baguio City mark in brooms sold and sourced from Baguio City. Today, San Pascual soft brooms is becoming a by-word in other places referring to the brooms produced by the SPCBRMI. In some special cases, they accommodate especial request for lettering of name of persons or organization on the finished brooms. Two line agencies of the government concerned with the development, promotion, and expanded marketing of soft brooms have been of special help to the SPCBRMI in advancing the cause of their enterprise: the Department of Trade and Industries (DTI) and the Forest Products mature tiger grass, the raw material for the Brgy. San Pascual soft brooms Research and Development Institute (FPRDI). Thus, along with the three other municipal governments of San Lorenzo Ruiz, Sipocot, Partnership with the LGU and DENR and Lupi that are within the jurisdiction of the in Forest Protection BNP, Basud entered into a memorandum of agreement with the DENR for the protection The officers and members of the SPCBRMI and conservation of the park. realized that a sole focus on tiger grass production and soft broom enterprise is not enough. They have to expand their attention Sub-Project Impacts and action as well to nurturing, caring, and Basud Municipal Planning and Development protecting the whole forestland. This will help Coordinator Rosalie Lopez brims with pride provide sustainability to their livelihood. It is in as she narrates the results and impacts of the this respect that they are working closely with subproject. “As to impact on their organization, the Basud local government and the DENR. In the members have acquired needed skills addition to their involvement in agroforestry and the organization itself has grown to be and rainforestation, they are members of the one that is able to stand on its own feet with Bantay Gubat, which regularly patrols the confidence,” Sally begins. “As they managed forestland against encroachers and violators. In their livelihood and forest rehabilitation this respect, the DENR provides the technical subprojects, they have learned the rudiments and legal support while the local government of managing people and handling finances. provides financial incentives in the form of Their board of directors—which happen to honoraria and allowances for the Bantay have more women than men members— Gubat members. This partnership is very became a venue for creative exchange of ideas significant considering that the forestland of and making of timely decisions for the project. Basud is part of the Bicol National Park (BNP). Thus, it served as venue for development 3 Community-Based Soft Broom Enterprise and Forest Rehabilitation in Basud, Camarines Norte Pedro Zaldy Baliktar, President of the SPCBRMI of leadership and management skills. Their recognizing that environmental conditions in organization has become a force and a voice as their community improved, along with the well as service provider to their community.” attitude of the local people towards the forest. Sally added. SPCBRMI has entered and Their forest is now on its way to recovery and won bids for the raising and provision of animals like the wild pigs are coming back. seedlings for other reforestation projects From charcoal makers and wood cutters, the in the watershed. The women leaders have locals have become restorers and protectors steered and championed the participation and of the forest. This is because they already have contribution of their sector to the development an alternative livelihood that lessens pressure of their community. on the forest resources. Notably, such environmental awareness and participation to As their business turned out to be economically the cause of the environment has spread as viable, the capital build up in their organization well to the whole community. also picked up. From an original savings of PHP20,0000 at the start of the project, this has grown up to PHP900,000 today. Of Challenges and Prospects this amount, PHP400,000 is loaned to the members while PHP500,000 is in the bank. The National Program Support for Environment Not only did their organization gain good and Natural Resources Management Project, financial standing, but the family members also which implemented the LPWMP, is ending in enjoyed benefits through their employment December 2013. The officers and members opportunities and shares from the earnings of the SPCBRMI are thankful that they were of their organization’s business.

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