Tags: Cottage Industries
By Nikka Garriga
BUENAVISTA, MARINDUQUE— The coconut trees thriving in the town of Bicas Bicas here do more than just giving the locals shade on a sunny day.
For Alicia Fabella and her fellow locals, it has also become their means of generating a steady income through the production of coco sugar.
This particular sweetener is yielded from the sap of coconuts and is processed in double jacketed kettles placed under high heat.
Coco sugar is considered to be the best alternative for health conscious consumers and diabetics for its low glycemic index and is chemical free.
A mangkakarit collects the unfermented tuba or coconut sap and cooks it until it solidifies. This will then be transferred to a stainless container to cool down and is stirred until it turns to fine sugar.
“The two double-kettled jackets were a big help because it simplifies the process of making the coco sugar and it ensures quality control as well,” Alicia explains.
The equipment was donated by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) while the Norwegian Mission Alliance (NMA) Philippines conducted a series of training on coconut-based livelihood projects for the locals.
Since their formal training, the coco production in this humble town has flourished from a three-kilogram per day output to 200 to 250 kilograms a week.
“Our town is really small and there is hardly any source of income for us save for our coconut trees. That’s why the help we received has greatly contributed to our means of living here,” Alicia says.
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