The detrimental impact of coronavirus continue to affect countries around the world, more so our economy and wellbeing. While we can’t ward off its negative effect, there were still a lot of good things that have surfaced during the pandemic. One of the positive effect of Covid is how it helped people to innovate, to come up with solutions that brought great benefits to the community.
In Culasi town in Antique, where plastic is prohibited, the group Bagacay Pantawid were able to come up with an eco-friendly packaging for their relief goods. The group is a Sustainable Livelihood Program Association or SLPA supported by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 6.
To avoid the use of plastic, the association mass-produced customized sacks as packaging for the relief goods of the Local Government Unit of Culasi. The association were able to manufacture 4,000 pieces of sacks. Apart from the relief packaging for rice and canned goods distributed during the community lockdown, the SLPA have also produced more than 1,000 cloth face masks.
The Bagacay Pantawid was included in the DSWD-SLP program in 2018. Their inclusion in the program is to help the women’s group improve their economic status. The group has 24 members. Five of them are tailors, which pushed them to focus their livelihood project to garments production. They create manufacture uniforms, curtains, pillow cases, bed sheets and also accept repair of various clothes.
The group started their operation the moment they received their sewing equipment: three single high speed sewing machine, one four thread sewing machine, one zigzager, and a portable sewing machine that is used for button hole. The SLPA is being led by Maritess Marcelino. As the head tailor, she also leads their operation and continue to encourage other members to learn how to sew and improve their skills.
Meanwhile, even with the pandemic, the SLPA continue to thrive. While they can no longer bring their products to Kalibo and other areas, they continue to operate. Their equipment were brought home by some members can work at home. Instead of bringing their products like curtains and pillow cases somewhere far, the group sell it on their respective barangays.#
“Mula sa PagSibol, Hanggang sa PagSulong”
credits to SLP Antique