Discovering the Ericulture in Palawan

Discovering the Ericulture in Palawan

By ROWENA BAUTISTA-ALCARAZ

A dried lump of cocoon is being fed into the pedal-operated spinning wheel. Cocoon samples from Helen's weaving center, which are turned into silk knitting yarn

MANILA, Philippines -- After 11 years of being a radio technician in Libya, Helen Martinez Quijana finally decided that it's time to go home. The plan was to put up a business of her own.  What kind?  That was for her to find out. But rearing silkworms in the districts of Puerto Princesa, Palawan to produce hand-loomed, handwoven, and hand- knitted scarves was certainly far from her mind.
"I came home in 2008 with a single plan in mind- put up a business so I won't have to go back to being an overseas Filipino worker. My two kids have grown and they both have their own families, so it's just me.  But I honestly didn't know what kind of business to venture into," says Helen during this writer's visit to their weaving center at Liberty Road, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
It was only until after she met up with the women in her native town, who were organized by the NPO2050–an organization concerned with global issues such as population, poverty, women's status, and the environment– that the idea came to her.

What started it all

NPO2050 first came to the Philippines in 2000. The group, led by Japanese national Katsuhide Kitatani, flew in and out of the country, particularly in Palawan, to help the women of the region by educating them about Eri silkworms and its produce.  They brought with them the Eri silkworm eggs for cultivation and most of the equipment found in the weaving center today such as spinning wheels for thread making, weaving looms, and warpers.
Women's empowerment is one of the concerns of the organization. According to their website www.NPO2050.org, "Women comprise half of the world's population.  NPO2050 believes therefore that safe and peaceful world cannot be built unless women’s potential is fully mobilized."
It further states, "A half of the people in this world suffer from poverty and 70 percent of them are women. It is essential to eradicate poverty if we are serious about building a peaceful world. It implies that women all over the world should be entitled to fundamental human rights. They should have ready access to education and basic health services."
Helen adds, "It was a 10-year project.  By the time I joined in, they were nearing the end of it.  Their last visit was February which was before the Tsunami hit Japan.  They took with them the last batch of scarves because they're no longer coming back.  We're on our own now."

New beginnings

Today, Helen is helped by her daughter-in-law Mia in running the Palawan Eri Silk Community Development Services, Incorporated, the manufacturing organization of Princesa Eri Silk products. Both women know they have much work ahead of them.
"We try to pass on to as many women as we can what we have learned. The center is open to everyone who would want to learn how to knit and weave. We also give willing parties eggs to rear and in return, we buy the cocoon they produce," says Helen.
Interestingly, the Eri silkworm, whose scientific name is Philosamia Recini, is a domesticated species of the wild silkworm Philosama Cynthia.  It was first cultivated in Assam, India in the 18th centruy.  The name Eri is derived from the Indian word "Eranda," which means castor oil, one of the silkworm's main food.
"The Philippine climate is ideal for rearing Eri silkworms.  It's hot and humid with no winter or cold nights.  Ideal temperatures should be 20 to 32 degree Celsius and 75 to 95 percent humidity.  The silkworms will die if temperature exceeds 36 degree Celsius or falls below 10 degree Celsius for any substantial period," says Helen.
She adds, "The crucial point is that when temperatures and the humidity are high, the larval period is shortened to as little as 17 days and this should be achievable in the Philippines."
Eri silkworms have a 45-day life cycle with no regard to seasons. And unlike Mulberry silkworm rearing, it requires minimum investment and attention as they are a hardy race and highly resistant to diseases. They can be easily reared without equipment and sophisticated sheds.
However, Helen admits that not too many people from within the community would want to take on the task. Most of them are either lazy or just lack the interest.

Playing the local industry

Another point of struggle for Helen is penetrating a niche market.  Philippines, being a tropical country, seems to have a lesser need to use scarves except when inside an air-conditioned facility or during colder months. A reasoning that Helen is quick to debunk: "Due to its thermal property, Eri silk is warm in winters but is cool in summer."
She also shares, albeit proudly, "Eri silk has certain excellent textile properties and is unique in many respects such as fineness, density, cross-sectional shape, surface properties and many others, which may play an important role in determining the end use of a fiber... Eri silk is finer than Muga and Tasar silks and even softer than Mulberry silk."
Apart from these qualities, Helen points out that Eri silk is eco-friendly and natural. It is also favorable to those who practice absolute non-violence and do not use any product obtained by killing any living creature.
"In Eri, the pupa can be taken out from the cocoon in live condition without affecting the quality of the silk.  The litter of the worms can also be used as organic manure for other crops," she says.
Meanwhile, Helen has high hopes for Eri silk in the country. In India, it is widely used for the preparation of bedsheets. Eri silk is also a suitable fabric for shawls, jackets, and blankets. Dress materials and baby dresses can also be made from Eri silk fabric because of its soft texture and moisture absorbent quality.  The local government of Palawan seems to agree as well.
"We've recently had guests from the Department of Science and Technology and they seem to be interested in what we are doing and what we are trying to accomplish. We know it's going to take some time because they also need to study the current process, not only of rearing Eri silkworms but all the way to the finished products.  Hopefully, they will be able to help us because they will not only help the organization but the people here in Palawan as well," Helen ends.