BASKET WEAVING

Rona Gellica P. Serenio

Most of the residents in the rural area are into fruits and vegetables gardening,
animal production or poultry farm. However, with the kind of world we are having
right now, the parents are somewhat encouraging already their children to remain or
stay on the kind of livelihood they have (although there are still some parents
especially the older ones who want to teach their children to still value the simple
rural life) because of the fact that the income which can be generated from gardening
and in raising farm animals will take quite a long time. Aside from that, the income on
these is not stable and consistent due to weather conditions plus the Law of Demand
and Supply factors. Thus, rural non-farm manufacturing industry came into
existence.

a. The chosen non-farm manufacturing industry here, is the oldest form of

industry in which most of the people here in Manatad, Sibonga, Cebu are in
to, it is the basket weaving or commonly called here as “tagakan” making.

b. Tagakan is a kind of plate which looks like a basket that does not have a
handle on it. It is purely made from the sticks in the leaves of a coconut tree
or what we called as “lukay”. Sticks will be formed or grouped into eight (8)
with eight (8) pieces also each group. It will then be inserted alternately
which forms like a crisscross while stepping into it in order to make it still
until the ring, which is also a stick that is formed into circle, is inserted in
the middle to the bottom part to serve as its base. After which, there will be
a series of waving and inserting of the sticks to form the side of the plate
until the last step which is the cutting of the excess sticks and eventually
the locking. It has different sizes such as 6 and 8.
c. S.W.O.T. analysis

c.1 STRENGTH c.3 OPPORTUNITY

Very cheap, thus, There will be an additional

affordable.
Very convenient to use
since you don’t have to keep
on washing plates.
product that can be derived
from a coconut tree.
Housewives will have an
additional income while
staying with their children
at home.
Husbands also can do this
if it’s their wives whom are
working outside.

c.2 WEAKNESS c.4 THREAT

Need to safe keep every Overworked on this will

after its usage right away to cause back pain to the one
maintain its durability. making it.
Women who just recently
gave birth and keep on
doing this will be
experiencing headache,
stress or even over
fatigue-“bughat”.

d. Recommendation

I highly recommend this kind of craft to everyone especially for those who
like to host or celebrate family and any community events on their places to be
more unique in a classical way. Tagakan plates are very affordable. Size six (6)
costs only .70 centavos while size eight (8) costs only one (P1) peso each.
However, prices may vary, such as that .70 centavos may become one (P1) peso
while that one (P1) peso may become one peso and twenty-five centavos (P1.25),
if it is urgently needed or if there are a lot of orders to be taken into
consideration. But, still it is so much affordable! Plus it is so convenient to use
since you don’t have to keep on washing plates or ask for a lot of dish washers.
Aside from this very practical reason, buying or patronizing tagakan will help
the people in the rural area to have an additional income. Moreover, if we can
introduce this one to the bigger market, it might be attractive to other countries
which will lead to exportation.

So what are you waiting for? Let us have something again to be proud
of…!!!