Ildefonso said her study has proven the effectiveness and safety of processing fruits such as tomato, calamansi, and cucumber. With a few ingredients, the fruit-based organic products are on par with commercially-available beauty soap brands. Ildefonso presented the ingredients and demonstrated the processing of tomato and calamansi into soaps.
The trainees were then made to demonstrate their new-found skills through a return demonstration in which they successfully produced 68 pieces of the “cala-matis” antibacterial bath soap.
ATBI project development officer Norma Appoy said the training aims to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills for calamatis-based processing, addressing issues such as food security, waste reduction, and sustainable practices. It also seeks to empower participants to become trainers in their community.
The participants expressed gratitude to IFSU for the training, highlighting that it introduced new ideas for consideration in their business ventures, and which also helps farmers with the marketing of their products.
Elvira Matabye, one of the participants, said making cala-matis soap is easy, and she plans to venture into this business soon. (JDP/FBR- PIA CAR, Ifugao)
