By: Ministry of Social Services, BARMM | Leomel M. Regudo

Paglat Moro Women’s Lead Organization (PMWLO), with Lubaida Litigan Manzon as President, is composed of 25 Moro women who work at the locally known Banig shop in Paglat, Mgauindanao. The members of the organization started as farmers in the vast lands of Paglat as it is rich in agriculture and water resources. They usually plant vegetables and crops and sell them at the market, earning PhP 300.00 a day. In 2012, the local government of Paglat communicated with Lubaida on what the women of Paglat could do to start an industry in the local setting. Having great confidence, Lubaida told the LGU that the women of Paglat have special hands for handweaving. Later on, the LGU in partnership with OXFAM supported the group of women weavers to start an organization by providing capital funds and trainings. During the earliest part of the establishment of the organization, Lubaida bought water hyacinth for 25 cents each from the locals of Liguasan Marsh just a kilometer away from Paglat. They extracted the fiber and used it as the main material for their handwoven products. The trainings had given them new ideas and improved their skills to create other crafts like table mats and small baskets.

Typhoon Yolanda

Lubaida attended a training sponsored by Sen. Cynthia Villar in Tacurong City for all presidents of women’s organizations in Maguindanao. She was given the opportunity to market their products and to present their venture to the staff of the senator. After the surge of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, the staff of Sen. Villar contacted her and ordered 1,000 sleeping mats to be donated to the affected families. Since she could only produce 200 banig at the time, she contacted other women’s groups in the nearby municipality who also produce sleeping mats to complete the senator’s order. They earned PhP 56,000.00 from the products.

Sikat Pinoy

In October 2018, the group got invited by DTI Philippines BDTP to showcase their products in a four-day retail and order-taking event in Metro Manila aimed to preserve the Philippine culture and tradition – the Sikat Pinoy: National Arts and Crafts Fair 2018. For Lubaida and her team, it became a gateway to more opportunities for their community to expand the reach of their chosen enterprise.

Lubaida is just one of the thousands of Moro Women in Maguindanao seeking for more opportunities. As someone who has lived in a place with decades of history of struggle and poverty, she learned how to survive. Lubaida didn’t leave to seek for opportunity outside home. Instead, she created an opportunity that even other women benefited from.

“Hindi ako hihinto na gumawa ng paraan para ma-display lang itong
mga products namin, kasi ayaw ko rin na hihinto ang mga kababaihan sa
pag gawa ng mga banig."

(I will not quit making ways for us to display our products, because I don’t want the women to quit making the mats)

-Lubaida Manzon