A practical program for home industries in Baler.pdf

Media

Part of The Coconut Journal

extracted text: A PRACTICAL PROGRAM FOR HOME INDUSTRIES IN BALER By CENEN CAJUCOM Nacoco Industrial Organizer BALER, situated in northern Tayabas, is an ideal seat for home industries. The people have the spirit of industry which has been handed down from father to son through genera tions. A small but progressive town of more than 12,000 inhabitants, these simple people are very adept at the art of home industry—the spinning and weaving of coconut coir into sacks for commercial purposes and sandbags for national defense. Un der the management of the National Coconut Cor poration, a great impetus is being given to a once declining industry which in its day may yet prove to be the key to the economic salvation of the coun try. Spinning Coconut Coir, a new industry Spinning and weaving is as old as history it self, but the spinning and weaving of coconut coir is a new. industry in the Philippines. But any in dustry in its incipient stages is always confronted with problems of its own. In this particular case, the people of Baler want to work and yet they cannot always to do so. It is not because of lack of labor. They have spinning machines and weaving looms and the willingness to work, but the problem arises from the fact that the raw materials they are to work on are not enough for the trained scattered corps of weavers and spinners whose humming wheels and busy looms echo from one home to an other; for Baler depends for its supply of coir ma terials on Sariaya, Tayabas and on Calasiao, Pangasinan. And yet, this need not be the case. Baler has enough nut-husks to produce 105 tons of coir fi ber every three months, or over 1000 kilos a day and this rate of production can be maintained for many years to come. Should she want a greater out put, the neighboring towns of Casiguran and Polillo Delivering copra to the Spencer, Kellog Co., in coir sacks manufactured at the Baler Industrial Center. Copra producers of Baler are now using coir sacks to transport their copia. There is now a heavy demand from Tayabas planlers for these sacks as they have been found more durable. can jointly supply her with around 90 tons of coir fiber at every quarterly gathering as shown in the figures below based upon the following statistics: Town Baler Casiguran Polillo I I I I I Total Area ¡Total No. of|Nuts Gathered Planted | Trees Bearing| Quarterly 1,482.00 Ha. | 100,671 | 700,984 703.79 Ha. | 55,000 | 190,000 2,783.67 Ha. | 180,000 | 473,000 Mechanization After a careful survey of the situation in Ba ler, a proposed plan whereby the continuity of coir supply may be effected has been drawn and ap proved in principle by the people of Baler. The plan consists of having the Corporation establish a defibering plant which is to be managed or owned by a planter or group of planters. This plant will be supplied with husks gathered from the entire dis trict. Once defibered, the produced coir will be sold to the Corporation which, in turn, will distri bute it among the spinners and weavers. The fin ished products will be bought by the Corporation to be sold in the form of sacks or sandbags. Such mechanization will utilize countless numbers of husks which are usually thrown away as wastes and will also utilize the idle hours of the people for a profitable industry in the homes. Pioneer One of the leading planters in Baler, Mr. Pe dro Lopez, has voiced his willingness to put up a defibering plant as planned above. He has asked the Corporation to install a defibering machine on his estate on -a credit basis with his coconut crops pledged as security and paying in equal monthly installments for it until the account is fully paid. Thus, the people of Baler are assured of a steady supply of coir which the National Coconut Corpora tion has contracted to buy from Mr. Lopez for re sale or distribution to spinners and weavers. In assuming the risks of production, Mr. Lopez is induced by the prospect of a reasonable percent age of profits as well as the expectation of owning his own defibering plant. Following is a brief pros pectus for a defibering plant with a capacity of 350 kilos a day: Capitalization .. P4,500.00 Daily Expenses 14.50 Cost per kilo . .04 Selling price rate p. k. ... .07 Net profitper kilo ........ .03 350-kilos capacity Daily production 10-hours. Spindable coir. At this writing, there are already 150 spinning machines in Baler. Some 150 more are still needed. This means that, at the rate of a little over one kilo of coir per machine, the total production of Mr. Lo pez’ projected plant has already an assured market. (Please turn to page 18) PAGE 7 THE COCONUT JOURNAL COCONUT OIL AS ... (Continued from page 9) CONUT OIL is as follows: Beat 1 cup of sugar with 4 egg yolks. Add gradually 1/2 cup of COCONUT OIL, beating constantly until smooth and lemon colored. Add in small amounts at a time, and alternately, 1-1/2 cups of flour previously sifted with 3 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/2 cup of diluted evaporated milk. Fold in 4 egg whites, stiffly beaten, and bake in moderate OROSAPALAYOK-OVEN 15 minutes Another procedure that may be used is as follows: Beat 2 egg yolks and add 2/3 cups COCONUT OIL, and beat until smooth. Add 2 cups su gar and beat until creamy. Then add 2 egg yolks and beat until fluffy. Add 3-1/2 cups flour previously sifted with 4 teaspoons bak ing powder, alternately with 1 cup diluted evaported milk, adding small quantities of each at a time, and fold in 4 egg whites stiffly beat en. Bake in moderate OROSA-PALAYOKOVEN 15 minutes. A PRACTICAL PROGRAM ... (Continued from page 7) Role of the Nacoco The National Coconut Corporation has a triple role to accomplish: first, as an industrial partner supplying the machines and technical assistance; second, as a contractor for the coir produced by the plant; and third, as an organizer of home industries. The Corporation covenants with a planter or a group of planters forming a cooperative to put up a small defibering plant. If the necessary cash is not available, the Corporation offers small produc tion loans to the planter or cooperative, who pledges his or its coconut crops as securities. The machin ery will then be paid for by the planter or cooperat ive in equal monthly installments until the whole amount has been paid. Installation of the machin ery up to the time of its operation will be super vised by a technical man sent over by the Corpora tion, whose salary will be paid by the Corporation, but whose transportation expenses and per diems will be paid by the planter or cooperative. When the machinery has been installed and the owners of the plantations are familiar with its operations, the planter or cooperative can then take over the full management. Everything produced from the machines will be bought by the Corporation, provided of course the fiber is of the stipulated quality. The coir fiber is in turn distributed to the spinners in domestic fac tories. Following are figures showing how home industrialists will be benefited: Price to be paid by spinner per kilo for material .................................... PO.07 Amount to be paid spinner for labor .. P0.15 Amount received by spinner for material & labor ....................................... P0.22 If material is furnished on credit: Price per kilo of material ................... P0.07 Amount to be paid spinner for labor .. P0.15 Amount received by spinner ............... P0.15 Note: In this case material is supplied and not paid by spinner. The Corporation has a Field Agent or Organ izer in charge of coordinating these activities. He sees to it that the defibering plant is working ef ficiently and producing the expected quantity of coir of standard grades. He supervises the distrib ution of coir among the local spinners and weav ers and sees to it that homes are supplied with materials, that labor is contented, and prevents dic tation of prices by either party. Farmers’ Financing Agency Coinciding with the work of the Corporation, the Department of Labor is extending aid to indigent FUNDAMENTAL FACTS The program for the Home Industries in Baler includes the following points: 1. The National Coconut Corporation will establish a plant for coir production. (a) Total amount of the plant will in clude cost of machinery, shed (camarin), and installation in the amount contracted by the planter or cooperative. (b) Management and operation of the plant will be under said private concern. (c) Manufactured coir will be con tracted by the Corporation. 2. Organization of Baler as center for the Home Industries program. (a) Baler can be easily supplied with husks from the towns of Casiguran and Polillo. (b) Organization of the inhabitants for a specific activity. (c) The Corporation’s Field Agent will supervise. 3. Joint cooperation of the National Co conut Corporation and the Farmers’ Financing Agency (FFA). (a) Economic and efficient adminis tration. (b) Consignment of the Corporation’s saleable products to the FFA Cooperative Store. 4. A cooperative system of activities is instilled. (a) Socialized distribution of income. farmers and workers in Baler by opening a unit of the Farmers’ Financing Agency. This agency can be of immeasurable help to the home industries program by acting as sales medium for our finished products. The coir spun into yarn; the yarn woven into sack-cloth; and the cloth sewed into finished sand bags or copra sacks, may be consigned to the Farm ers’ Financing Agency (FFA) Cooperative Store PAGE 18 NOVEMBER, 1941 Coconut Journal Makes Headway Indicative of a growing interest in the progress and possibilities of the coconut industry in the Phil ippines is the steady increase in the number of sub scribers to the Coconut Journal. Among the sub scribers to this publication are public branch libra ries, throughout the city and the provinces, and the libraries of both private and public schools in many parts of the Philippines. Director Salvador of the Bureau of Education has endorsed the inclusion of the Coconut Journal in the Approved Library List for general reading of teachers and students in the high school. The Coconut Journal is coming to be recog nized as a scientific publication of general interest and as a medium of educational value. Among the schools subscribing to the Journal are the follow ing: Assumption Convent of Manila; Bicol Insti tute, Naga, Camarines Sur; Naujan Farm School, Naujan, Mindoro; San Jose No. 1 Int. School, San Jose, Mindoro; San Jose No. 2 Elem. School, San Jose, Mindoro; San Agustin Elem. School. San Agus tin, Mindoro; Borbocolan Int. School, Borbocolan, Mindoro; Pinagsabangan Int. School, Pinagsabangan, Mindoro; Anuling Int. School, Anuling, Min doro; Pola Elem. School, Pola, Mindoro; Bongabon Central School, Bongabon, Mindoro; Masaguisi Bar rio School, Bongabon, Mindoro; Paclasasan Elem. School, Paclasasan, Mansalay, Mindoro; Mansalay Elem. School, Mansalay, Mindoro; Bulalacao Elem. School, Bulalacao Mindoro; Abra de Ilog Elem. School, Abra de Ilog, Mamburao District, Mindoro; Libang Central School, Viga Barrio School, Malilig Barrio School, Tagbac Barrio School, Cabra Bar rio School, Binacas Barrio School and Tilic Barrio School, Mindoro; Silliman University, Dumaguete, Or. Negros. The Coconut Journal reaches the different branch libraries of the National Library in Iloilo, Zamboanga, Camarines Sur, Bohol, Tayabas, Ilocos Norte and Tondo. for resale to the people and copra producers of Ba ler. Other products of the National Coconut Cor poration such as soap, hats, slippers, handbags, etc. may also be displayed and sold at the store. This coincidence will save the Corporation con siderable organization, sales and personnel ex penses. As has been tentatively agreed upon, the FFA Store personnel is willing to undertake the job of paying the spinners and weavers their piece work, crediting same to the Corporation. With the National Coconut Corporation as its connecting link, there is a cooperative system of in dustrial activities in progress in Baler. The planter, responsible for the production of coir fiber, receives a sound income for his product; the industrial work ers (the spinners and weavers) with human labor as their invested capital, receive an income and net gain for utilized time; while the Corporation initiates the home industry and utilizes one of the principal by-products of coconut—the coir fiber. The Editor, The Coconut Journal Sir: So much has been said and written both in the public prints and over the radio about “quality soaps” manufactured from the so-called “costly oil” that a few words to correct the misleading impression creat ed by this propaganda are called for. What is a soap? Soaps are alkali salts of fatty and resin acids, soluble in water and capable of giving a lather. In asmuch as they are generally made from vegetable or animal oils, they consist of the alkali salts of such acids as occur in these oils. In other word? costly olive oil is no olive oil any longer when made into a soap, but saponified acids and as such, they do not have the beautifying properties and superior qualities of a good soap made from our own coconut oil. All eminent authorities on the subject of soap making agree, that no oil in the world can beat coco nut oil as a prime material for soap. The reason is plain. Coconut oil contains LAURIC ACID, an acid of the HIGHEST SAPONIFIED VALUE. “Costly olive oil” contains no Lauric Acid, consequently does not give the rich lather of coconut oil soap, ergo, it is not the prime material for the best quality soap. Now let the truth be stated. Prime olive oil is never used in soap making. What is used is the “ba gasse oil” or sometimes called “enfers” very high in free fatty acids. This oil is the last expression of the fruit and is not costly at all, as it is not edible, but residual oil suitable only for cheap soaps. No oil in the world gladdens the heart of the soap maker more than our own good coconut oil. The desired action of a good soap is that it be a good detergent, or in plain language, it must emul sify greasy material and increase the brownian move ment. Soap made from “costly olive oil” does not do this as well as the “cheap” coconut oil. In fact “costly oil,” or what goes into soap of this fruit, is not costly at all, but the refuse part of it. Yours truly, E. M. GROSS, Ph. D. Chemist P. 0. Box 154 Davao, Philippines The Editor, The Coconut Journal P. 0. Box 290, Manila Sir: The Information Service of the University of the Philippines desires to have a complete file of your excellent magazine, The Coconut Journal. On looking up our records, we discovered that we lack (Please turn to page 23) PAGE 19
Date: 1941
Rights