Woven grass

One of the high points of Silagan Handicraft since it opened for business in 1989 is its getting SM’s nod to supply beach mats, bags, and placemats to its department stores all over the country.

"I did not know anybody at SM. I just knew that SM entertained suppliers once a week in Manila, that there was no need to make an appointment. So I came to Manila with my product samples. The hardest question the SM buyers asked me was what was my production capacity," said manager Joaquin Silagan.

Based in New Corella, Davao del Norte, the company currently has 30 weavers/sewers of sea grass or ticog and 12 sewers of the romblon kind of pandan, which is longer than the pandan leaves used in cooking. The weavers use looms, which have been improved upon by Silagan, an engineer by education. Some of the looms are relatively new, purchased from a P230,000 loan from two banks.

"Production could be higher if we could dry the sea grass faster. Although we are not hit by typhoons, we often have rain showers in the afternoon," said Silagan. Production of mats alone is 1,500 per month.

Aside from SM, the company also exports its products to Hawaii in the United States and Italy. It has, likewise, done customized venetian blinds for local resorts.

Trade Fairs

"I started out supplying sea grass to handicraft companies. They seem to be doing well so I decided to diversify and go into the handicraft business myself. Besides, I remember my grandmother from Bohol doing such weaving," said Silagan, who attended a seminar on sea grass weaving conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry under the Craft Village Development Program funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.

The company began participating in trade shows, first at the provincial and regional levels and then the National Trade Fair, all of which included pre-show workshops and one-on-one consultancy with DTI agencies such as Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines. During the 2002 and 2003 NTF, the company generated combined sales of P10 million.

"I attended a few international trade shows with the help of the DTI. When I realized that all my buyer in these trade shows were also Filipinos, I stopped going. The expense involved could be put to better use participating in more local trade fairs," said Silagan.

Needless to say, Silagan Handicraft is looking for another SM in its future.