Women in the Philippines bake a better future — Global Issues

The Balaigay Girls Producer Cooperative is made up of native ladies from the fishing village of Lumbayanague in addition to ladies who had been displaced from Marawi, a close-by metropolis, following an assault by Islamist militants in 2017.

Forward of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, which is marked yearly on 27 June, Daniel Dickinson spoke to Beliante Matanog Cayongat, a long-term resident of Lumbayanague and Nobaida Arig, who arrived following the terrorist assault in regards to the recipe for his or her success.

Nobaida Arig: “I work one shift every week within the bakery riving at 4:30 within the morning and baking for 2 hours. We’ve six fundamental merchandise, banana muffins, Spanish rolls and coconut breads, in addition to chocolate cake, banana loaf and an ordinary white loaf.

I’m one in every of 20 folks within the cooperative who fled Marawi when it was attacked in 2017.

Beliante Matanog Cayongat: The cooperative runs the one bakery within the neighborhood and usually all our bread and pastries promote out early within the afternoon.

We make 2 kg of every product. In Ramadan our giant loaves had been very fashionable and we offered out though we made 60 a day. The big loaves price 40 pesos ($0.70) every and since it is a very shut neighborhood if individuals are unable to pay, we enable them to settle their invoice later.

Nobaida Arig: We’re a profitable bakery as a result of our breads, muffins and pastries are scrumptious and inexpensive. If you love your work, you bake scrumptious meals.

I didn’t know tips on how to bake earlier than we opened this bakery. We had been educated and given supplies together with an oven to place our coaching into follow. I get higher as a baker with the hands-on expertise.

I can be taught 200 pesos ($3.40) on my shift, which is nice, however not sufficient to assist my household of six. I additionally run a small store promoting snacks and items.

Beliante Matanog Cayongat: On a sluggish day, the bakery could make 1500 pesos ($25.50) however once we are very busy with orders, we will earn 2500 pesos ($42.50) a day. After paying salaries, the rest is put again into the cooperative.

Nobaida Arig: Baking is definitely fairly straightforward should you comply with the recipe and I’m all the time on the lookout for new concepts. I’m so enthusiastic about baking that I watched a video on YouTube at dwelling, which taught me tips on how to make pizza with pineapple, mushroom and tuna. We baked a particular order of pizzas for Ramadan. I’m very completely satisfied and proud that my pizza was so common and contributed to the neighborhood.

Beliante Matanog Cayongat: Through the Marawi siege in 2017, which lasted 5 months, we welcomed about 100 folks into our neighborhood who had fled their houses within the metropolis. Many had household connections, together with Nobaida, whose husband fishes out of this village.

Nobaida Arig: When Marawi was attacked we heard gunshots and I assumed it was a household feud, which we’re fairly used to. However after two days when the college was burned down, we realized it was one thing extra critical and we determined to flee. We had completely nothing with us.

There have been many males wearing black, carrying weapons and flying the Islamic State [ISIL Islamist terrorist group] flag within the metropolis, however they allow us to cross and we left for the village. It was a giant shock and unthinkable that Marawi can be attacked on this manner.

Beliante Matanog Cayongat: We need to construct an even bigger bakery and promote our merchandise additional afield. However, we additionally need to diversify and supply extra employment for ladies residing right here.

We wish to provide tailoring and workplace providers, so we actually want computer systems and Web connection. Girls right here, need peace and prosperity and a greater future for his or her kids, and we’re making a giant effort to understand these hopes.