Enhancing Productivity Among T’boli Women involved in Traditional “Tinalak” loam weaving using Electricity from Micro Hydro in South Cotabato, Mindanao

      One of the most significant results of making inexpensive renewable energy available at the household level is increased income and the promotion of indigenous culture. The T’boli tribe is famous for its artistic traditions as manifested in various forms of handicrafts that almost every T’boli household has been churning out over the years.

      One of the famous products of the community is the T’nalak, a very colorful woven material made of abaca fiber. Usually, they come in the form of decorations or souvenirs, but they could also be designed as indigenous clothes that are marketed within and outside the municipality of Lake Sebu.

      Many of the T’boli households are equipped with simple tools to facilitate abaca fiber weaving. It is primarily because of this weaving tradition that the T’bolis are always inclined to use substantial parts of their lands for abaca farming.

     The T’boli women are mostly involved in this particular form of economic activity. Before the installation of the MHP system in Tablo, they had to rely only on a kerosene lamp to light up their houses at night. It was impossible to do any weaving work in the evenings with the dim illumination from the lamps. With the electricity coming from the MHP system, the women could also perform their weaving activities at night.

      It is now possible to complete a 10-meter T’nalak in 10 days since women could also do their weaving activities in the evenings, in addition to their daytime productive hours. This is a stark difference from their previous production capacity when it took about two months to finish a 10-meter long T’nalak.

      The increased capacity of women to produce handicraft products like T’nalak has the potential to increase family income. A 10-meter long T’nalak could sell at a minimum of P 300 to as high as P 1,200 depending on the quality and design.