A lot of businesses were greatly affected by the coronavirus disease that hit the Philippines in 2020. Some were forced to shut down or stop operations altogether due to the adverse effect brought by the pandemic. However, these certain water hyacinth handicrafts producers in Los Baños, Laguna, bravely continued their operation. They even supplied scraped lilies to clients abroad despite the current situation which opened job opportunities to women.
The Laguna Water Hyacinth Handicraft Producers Association (LWHHPA) is known for being pioneers in producing handicrafts out of water hyacinth or water lilies in Laguna. It is an association composed of different micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the province that produces handicrafts and other fashion accessories. They manufacture indigenous wearables and home styles such as bags, shoes, slippers, baskets, and trays, among others. Some of its members like Mr. Cesar Pasco of Sarilikha Handicrafts and Rolyoliha atbp. Souvenir Shop are now acknowledged trainers and consultants demanded by different regions and provinces in the Philippines for water hyacinth handicraft production.
Pre-pandemic, Rotex Wallcoverings Enterprises Co., Ltd., a Taiwanese company was looking for a regular supplier of scraped water lilies. Rotex is a company in Taiwan that is in the business industry since 1980. Rotex is known for developing several classic handmade wallpapers that the competitors cannot easily imitate (About Rotex Wallcoverings Enterprises Co., Ltd. n.d.) Through the help of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Manila Economic and Cultural Office, Rotex was introduced and linked to the president of LWHHPA, Ms. Remia Adedoja.
A month before the announcement of lockdown in February 2020, Rotex visited the Philippines specifically the production area of LWHHPA, and saw the sets of machines and equipment present in the area and some scraped lilies of different colors. Most of the machines and equipment in the facility which are being used by LWHHPA in their water hyacinth production were provided by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) under the Shared Service Facility (SSF) program.
The SSF program is one of the flagship program of DTI that improves MSMEs’ competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency by providing better access to technology under a shared system. It helps beneficiaries increase their production, improve product quality, and increase market sales and jobs generation.
After a month-long negotiation, LWHHPA accepted the demand of Rotex to be their supplier of scraped lilies. Despite COVID-19 threats, LWHHPA was able to produce and export 60,000 pieces of scraped lilies to Taiwan. With the help of DTI, they were provided with Travel Pass, and with the help of the Design Center of the Philippines, they were given guidebooks in coloring the lilies preferred by Rotex.
In terms of raw materials and other suppliers, according to Ms. Adedoja, they took good advantage of the couriers that bring and send raw materials to and from their place that is why getting raw materials and other supplies was not a hindrance for LWHHPA to continue their production. Also, with networks from Cavite and Biñan City, Laguna, LWHHPA did not have a problem with raw materials and transporting them to and fro.
Due to the high demand and continuous order of Rotex, LWHHPA was also able to provide employment to 11 women in Los Baños, Laguna, with no other means of livelihood but this. These women were very eager to work even during the pandemic. They get paid according to the number of scraped lilies they were able to produce in a day. Usually, the compensation for these women ranges from P200 to P350 per day according to Ms. Adedoja.
Aside from the boost in sales brought about by exporting, LWHHPA also resorted to Electronic Commerce or E-Commerce during the height of the pandemic. It helped them gain regular clients and resellers coming from the National Capital Region, City of Davao, Cagayan De Oro City, and Cebu City. They started online selling in 2019 through the online selling platform Shopee. However, there was a low to no recorded sales during the said year. Surprisingly, when 2020 entered along with the pandemic, almost every day, their water hyacinth-based products like placemats and coasters were sold out.
LWHHPA experienced a 70% increase in sales from a total sale of P600,000 in 2019 to at least P1M gross sales in 2020. It can be considered as a high leap in sales noting the presence of COVID-19 and the challenges it brought to non-food businesses. The sales increase resulted from exporting products and participating in various trade fairs conducted by DTI and other public and private agencies.
When asked about what motivated and kept LWHHPA going despite challenges during the pandemic, Ms. Adedoja says “Yung hard work at presence of mind mahalaga. Alisin mo dapat ‘yung takot na hindi ka na makakagawa dahil sa kung anu-ano. You’ve got to have courage and boldness despite sa nangyayari sa paligid.” (Hard work and presence of mind are important. Do not let fear hinder you from doing something. You’ve got to have courage and boldness despite changes and challenges.)
As the president of LWHHPA, Ms. Adedoja embodies the good attributes of a real entrepreneur – opportunity-grabber and risk-taker. Amid the market changes and challenges, LWHHPA courageously accepted the orders from clients abroad and even provided opportunities for women in Los Baños, Laguna.♦
Date of Release: 22 March 2021