Philippines: Silkworm farming takes root in Cagayan de Oro, creates jobs for women
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we didn’t rely on ayuda (government aid). The caterpillars were able to sustain us,” she said.
By Froilan Gallardo
Rappler
Aug 30, 2023
Excerpt:
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Emilia Cabilic carefully arranges piles of mulberry leaves, being cautious not to startle the velvety silkworm caterpillars that are voraciously devouring the fresh, green foliage at the production hub of the Balubal Sericulture Farmer Association in Barangay Balubal, Cagayan de Oro City.
The 62-year-old Cabilic and other women farmers repeat this process until the caterpillars reach the stage when they are ready to spin cocoons of silk threads around themselves, which happens 30 days later.
Afterward, she harvests the cocoons and sells them for P400 to P500 per kilo. “We feed them every day. You can hear them eat the leaves. They have a hearty appetite for the leaves,” Cabilic said.
These velvety silkworm caterpillars are offering hope and a source of livelihood for the women at the relocation site in Barangay Balubal, which is situated around 19 kilometers east of downtown Cagayan de Oro.
“We started something that made changes among the women in the relocation site,” said Marilyn Galindo Arabis, the president of the Balubal Sericulture Farmers Association.
The community, Cagayan de Oro Resettlement Socialized Housing Project 4 in Barangay Balubal, is home to some 4,000 families that used to dwell in urban slums in Cagayan de Oro.
