Coconut Waste Materials Open Livelihood Opportunity

Jeeff De Asis, a craft maker has found a living through making use of coconut waste materials.  A coco craft maker from Barangay Carit-an in the municipality of Patnongon, he shared last week how he began his journey of producing crafts out of coconut waste materials and how it helped him augment his income as chief tanod in Barangay Carit-an. 

De Asis was invited by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Antique provincial office to do a coco craft demonstration at the Obre Antiqueño Trade Fair at the Robinsons Mall during that week. He showed the participants how to do a ‘hantic” or red ant lampshade made of coconut shells that won the Most Innovative Product award during the 2022 Panubli-on Heritage Fair on November 20 in Iloilo City.  He said that he was inspired to form the lampshade into an ant shape in honor of his home province of Antique, where its name was derived from.

He said craft makers like him need the support of the national government through DTI and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to have the startup capital and training.  With the craft, he now provides work to his in-laws whom he trained to make key chains, refrigerator magnets, and cellphone holders that they sell. He hoped the six to seven people he also trained in the barangay could likewise avail of the Shared Service Facility from DTI or Sustainable Livelihood Program from the DSWD to sustain the business.