Catanduanes Forum

why did the studies say that the tiger grass is a tolerant of neglect?
Pls answer this a.s.a.p

While the nation now knows that Tiger Grass (Lasa) grows abundantly here in Catanduanes, specifically in Caramoran (and let us acknowledge Pandan too), we still need to work on capturing most of its economic value for the province.

The fifth (5th) paragraph of this article http://www.catanduanesforum.com/tiger-grass-k-sugbo by Francis Monteseña of Inquirer claims that Tiger Grass is a "multimillion-peso cottage industry in the island-province of Catanduanes." I wondered for a time where the money is going. Who is cashing in on this industry. What? industry? In Catanduanes?

With resolve, i stopped asking questions and started to gather the facts again for me to learn and here are some of my notes:

1. Catanduanes is producing Tiger Grass in great quantities. Please search the net and you will see write ups that point to this.

2. Catanduanes, or even Caramoran, seem not to benefit from this "multi-millioni-ndustry". Just like what the Caramoranon would say, "siin ma kitkit". For if so, why haven't I seen this/these millionaire/s around this poor areas?

3. One entrepreneur in Bataan (Take note) earns a living by delivering 1,500 or more walis tambo a week to Caloocan and around the same number is delivered to Divisoria. That is around 3,000 walis tambo a week! And to think that Bataan does not grow it in commercial quantities. Bataan get their raw material, lasa, in CATANDUANES, Bagiuo, and in some other provinces but not from Bataan... and yet they sell Walis Tambo!

4. We earn when we sell raw material. Fine. But it is a good economic practice to sell finished products out of that raw material. Think of how much is a "beer-size" bunch of Lasa, 35 to 40 pesos. And how much is a walis tambo in the national market? And how many walis tambo can be made out of a beer-sized bunch?

5. The quality of Catanduanes Tiger Grass is high compared to the quality coming from other provinces. Internet information from DOST and other sites support this claim.

I was talking to a Caramoranon who has a tiger-grass plantation. He informed me that Bataan and Bagiuo entrepreneurs come to Catanduanes even if the price in Caramoran is high simply because of the quality. During production of Walis Tambo, these entrepreneurs mix our quality lasa with inferior quality ones, and cheaper ones too, to realize better profit!

6. And, I was shocked to note that we have to sell our lasa fast during the harvest season as entrepreneurs claim that the market at times is oversupplied with lasa that pulls down the price.

7. But, apparently, Buyers from Bataan come back to Catanduanes during oversupply season, buy lasa at low price stock them up and distribute the lasa in the market during the non-lasa havesting season! And of course during the post harvest season when the market is oversupplied, the people in Caramoran would welcome any buyer, however low the price offer simply because they need to eat.

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With the above notes, here are the profit points that we are missing:

a) We get more if we can produce quality finished products. And because the quality of our Lasa is higher, the quality of the finished product will also be high. Granting we sell the finished product at par with prevailing market price, ours SHOULD sell better, once the quality of raw material and workmanship is proven in the market. That will create a Brand "Catanduanes Samhod" against "Bagiuo Walis Tambo". Samhod should sell better!

b) With the volume that Catanduanes can produce, it is unrealistic to project that we can absorb all the raw materials for "Samhod" and etc. production. We need to sell the raw materials out, only at a controlled level. A capitalist can put up a warehouse for to stock up on surplus for the time of the year when the stock of the raw material in the market is low. Catanduanes should earn more from that!

c) Because ours is a sought after quality raw material, market strategies to highlight our quality "Cantaduanes samhod" can push the price of our finished product a bit higher!

A Tiger Grass industry is a welcome need here in Catanduanes. A clear cut policy is needed to be in placed to control the trading of Tiger Grass to our advantage.

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Look guys, this is my view. You may have better views. Let us blurt out our ideas to make the whole Philippines stop calling it Walis Tambo but Samhod. By that time Philippines call it Samhod, you are pretty sure some millionaires can already be found in the Tiger Grass Capital of the Philippines: Caramoran!

Dave Templonuevo, Jr.