Samar expands ‘tikog’ grass plantation

TACLOBAN CITY, May 11 --  More areas have been opened to cultivation of “tikog” grass as the local government steps up the promotion of woven mats in the global market.

Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan said in an interview Wednesday the local government has already spent about PHP1.2 million for the expansion of cultivated areas for “tikog” since 2014.

“Tikog” is a special reed grass which grows in swampy areas along ricefields and has solid, jointless, and usually triangular stems.

Before super typhoon Yolanda struck in 2013, “tikog” had grown naturally in the wild, but rising demand for woven mats depleted its supply.

The monster typhoon destroyed “tikog” plants as seawater flooded areas in the wild and left the soil unsuitable to “tikog” farming. This prompted the local government to develop new areas for cultivation.

In the past four years, the provincial government has already developed 30 hectares of land for tikog cultivation in Basey, Samar, said Tan.

“The next step is to teach farmers from nearby towns on how to propagate the grass with funding support from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP),” Tan said.

The additional income from “tikog” grass cultivation is seen as a strategy by OPAPP to minimize the influence of communist rebels in poverty-stricken communities of Samar province, according to the governor.

The century-old tradition of mat weaving in Basey town starts with the gathering of stems and bleaching it under the sun for several days. After drying, women weavers make mats, bags, hats, storage boxes, foot wears, wall decors, accessories, and other crafts.

"We forged partnership with the Visayas State University to develop a technology for drying mats even during rainy days,” Tan told reporters.

During the launch of Spark Samar tourism campaign last month, the provincial government introduced “Lara” as a new brand for woven mats.

The activity is part of the local government’s summer tourism promotion program. “Lara” is the local term for weaving.

The product is also making stronger presence in the social media with the help and support of Manila-based budding designers and independent groups.

"Lara is a visionary brand transforming indigenous materials of Samar into contemporary fashion and lifestyle creations," said Lara's brand manager Yen Pomida-Nacario.

Nacario said that “Lara is a creative platform to elevate and modernize local products of Samar, provide long-term sustainable livelihood to various communities, promote socio-cultural and environmental awareness among the people, and integrate a contemporary handle on tourism through fashion and style.”

Samar is one of the poorest provinces in the country with a poverty incidence of 49.5 in 2016. The provincial government is largely counting on tourism to improve the local economy. (SQM/PNA)