TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) - - The Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) turned over recently a complete set of equipment and a production facility to the Local Government Unit of Claveria, Cagayan to further develop and expand the ‘Sericulture Industry’ in the town.

Assistant Secretary and OIC Executive Director Atty. Genevieve E. Velicaria-Guevarra led the formal turnover and opening of the filature facility, which houses one silk weaving and processing center, one cocoon processing center, four silkworm rearing houses, and one young-age rearing house.

Claveria town Mayor Lucille Angelus Guillen-Yapo expressed her gratitude to PhilFIDA to serve as an instrument to help the local government unit achieve its goal to be recognized in its efforts in promoting the town’s fiber industry.

"I would also like to thank Ma’am Leah Pulido Ocampo, regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry Regional Office No. 2, for providing support to the local government in all its business-related operations," the mayor said.

She assured PhilFIDA that the local government unit and the members of the association will take care of the facilities and look after their maintenance.

Support to farmers 

The industry started when Guillermina Magno, president of the Bonnieville Farmers Association (BFA) in the said town, gave a nod to the local government unit for the development of a ‘sericulture’ in her private land in Barangay Culao.

In July 2021, the Fiber Utilization and Technology Division of PhilFIDA conducted site evaluation in the area for the establishment of the Sericulture Weaving and Cocoon Processing Center, and the finalization of the Memorandum of Agreement.

Livelihood opportunity

Sericulture or silkworm culture is the process of the rearing silkworm for the production of raw silk. Farmers rear silkworm wherein cocoons are produced into silk yarns which are used as raw materials for Barong Tagalog and other world-class silk products. 

Guevarra said the project is an emerging industry in the Philippines with the high demand for fashionable clothing items.

PhilFIDA also believes that the silk product may be a raw material to develop a local product that has potential for a global market. 

“It will provide livelihood opportunities to all the members of the farmers’ group as well as other interested residents of the community. It will also help propel not only the economy of the town but the province as well,” Guevarra said. 

As a jumpstart, a three-hectare lush mulberry farm was already established in the first quarter of 2022.

With the facilities now turned over to the association, the lush mulberry farm will be utilized during silkworm rearing, where farmers can process the silkworm cocoons into silk.

At present, the association has at least 20 members, and with the bright future ahead of the sericulture industry in Claveria town, the association’s president looks forward to membership expansion.

Tourism potential

In a recent interview, Department of Tourism Region 2 Senior Tourism Operations Officer Romeo Caranguian said the opening of a filature facility in the said municipality is an additional tourism experience for tourists once they visit the northern part of the province. 

He said that it is an opportunity to mainstream the coastal municipality as not just blessed with Claveria Beach, Taggat Lagoon, Sentinela Beach, Bantay Kalbo, and Mabnang Falls but also rich in culture and heritage. (OTB/MDCT/PIA Cagayan)