Article Type: Research Article Article Citation: Nestor C. Sedanza, Myrna O. Piedad, and Juliet C. Lerios.
(2021). ASSESSMENT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES OF MAMANWA TRIBE IN BASEY,
SAMAR: A CASE STUDY. International
Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 9(1), 183-188. https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v9.i1.2021.3097 Received Date: 01 January 2021 Accepted Date: 31 January 2021 Keywords: Mamanwa Indigenous
Peoples Entrepreneurial
Initiatives Sources of Income Case Study One of the priorities of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 2030 is poverty eradication with emphasis on the marginalized and indigenous peoples (UNESCO). The migrant Mamanwas in Basey, Samar composed of 24 families rely on the subsistence economy which is hand-to-mouth existence. The theory of personal resourcefulness emphasizes in one’s own capability for initiating actions towards creation and growth of enterprise (Kulkarni, 2016). This qualitative study sought to examine the entrepreneurial initiatives of Mamanwas that helped them sustain their existence. It employed evaluative qualitative research method - single case study, the Mamanwa tribe. The data were collected through observations, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussion. The data were analyzed through two cycles of coding and categories and themes were developed. The findings revealed that Mamanwas’ sources of income were farming, gathering of rattan and abaca, grass cutting, mat weaving, handicrafts, and making of souvenir items. However, they needed technical assistance in the preparation of souvenir items and checking whether it pass quality standards, they also lack materials and tools and a strategy in marketing their products, they want training on food preparation and cooperative education. This study recommended for an extension project proposal on training and technology assistance for entrepreneurs.
1. INTRODUCTIONThe Mamanwa (Conking, Mamaw, Amamanusa, Manmanua, Mamaua) is one of the three groups of ethnic tribes that
occupy a very distinct position in Philippine populations. Heretofore, the Mamanwa has been classified as a Negrito subgroup, but
physical anthropological data indicate otherwise. The Mamanwa
form a distinct branch from the rest of the Philippine populations which
include the various groups of the Negrito, and the Austronesian-speaking people
which now comprise the modern populations. The mamanwa
appear to be an older branch of population appearances in the Philippines
affecting to some extent the Negrito of Northeastern Luzon. Like all the Negrito
groups in the country, the Mamanwa speak a language
that is basically, that of the dominant group about them. (NCCA, 2015). The Mamanwas are short, small-framed people. They have dark
skin, kinky hair and shy personalities. Their names
are derived from nature – mountains, bodies of water, trees, stones, and
wildlife. Basically, nomadic, the older men of the tribe still roam the forests
of Surigao del Norte to hunt for food, returning only to their territories to
deliver their catch, which are shared by everyone. In recent times, the younger
ones begun to look for work at mining and logging companies, to earn money to
support the needs of their young families (USAA 2003). This study assessed
their entrepreneurial activities for both men and women to earn money for their
families. Maceda
(1967) classified Mamanwas into three groups
economically: food collectors, transitional groups, and semi-sedentary
groups. A few of them own lands now and
have become both famers and food collectors. The more acculturated Mamanwas also have domesticated pigs’ chickens for food and
sacrifices. Camote, a tropical sweet potato, is their basic crop. In the steep mountains
Mamanwas practice slash and burn agriculture. Further
they hunt and trap wild pigs, deer, and wild chickens. A limited of corn,
sugarcane, tobacco, squash, and bananas are grown. It is not uncommon for one
family to plant and others to live off of them.
(Miller et.al.,1976). The Mamanwas are more scattered and nomadic compared to other
tribal groups. However, most Mamanwa groups are
concentrated in Eastern Visayas and Northeastern Mindanao (Surigao del Norte
and Agusan del Norte). Different sources placed the
present Manmanwa population around 2,000 to 8,000.
(Diaz, 2015). Some of these group migrated to Samar and Southern Leyte. A group
of Mamanwas composed of 24 families migrated to Sitio
Wispal, Brgy. Guirang, Basey, Samar. They came
from Dolores, Eastern Samar. This Mamanwa tribe in Basey was the subject of this study. The
preliminary survey conducted by Espada in 2017 pointed to the Mamanwas with 24 families in Basey,
Samar as indigent group who are in dire need of help in all aspects. Some of her
findings were the following: 1) the migrant Mamanwas
are female dominated, aged 31 to 40 years old, mostly parents; 2) only half of
them reached elementary; the other half are illiterate who expressed their
desire to learn to read; 3) As farmers, they sell raw abaca and rattan at a
very low price; 4) they live in wooden bamboo houses with no electricity and
own water supply; 5) can hardly sustain basic needs; and 6) they possess
negative self-concept and low-esteem. The findings clearly imply that they
struggle for survival. In
another development, the Department of Tourism (DOT) have included the Mamanwa tribe in the tourism loop of Samar since their
place is a jump-off point to the Sohoton Cave Bridge
Park, a popular tourist destination in Eastern Visayas. The Provincial
Government of Samar and DOT donated traditional musical instruments and clothes
for Mamanwa tribesmen to preserve their traditions
and culture. The tribesmen can be an attraction to locals and tourists by their
culture, traditions and history of the tribe for
better appreciation of their presence. The Mamanwas
makes souvenir items for tourists going to the cave. They sell necklaces made
of seeds, pen made of bamboo, garland made of tikog
leaves and other products. The income they receive from making and selling
souvenir items help support the daily needs of their families. It is in
this context that the study was undertaken. The findings will greatly help in generating
ideas on how to help them sustain their entrepreneurial activities as an
alternative source of livelihood for their families. 2. FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDYOne of
the priorities of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 2030 is poverty eradication
with emphasis on the marginalized and indigenous peoples (UNESCO). Research findings
show that education plays a vital role in the eradication of this condition. The new thrust of education for sustainable development emphasizes
improving access and retention in quality basic education, reorienting existing
educational programs to address sustainability, increasing public understanding
and awareness of sustainability and providing training
to all sectors of the workforce. This sustainability should be holistic that it
should include not only knowledge acquisition but also the socio-economic,
cultural. Skills acquisition and environment awareness in a
given society or culture. The many
shifts of processes and activities in the world displaced an identified group of
minorities- the indigenous peoples. They suffer the consequences of economic
advancement such as mining, large scale farming, cattle raising, industrial
growth and even land grabbing, ejecting consequences like hunger, poor health
conditions, displacement, discrimination, loss of culture, cultural erosion,
conflicts, abuse, sickness and inequality among
others. Teachers can do so much to help educate the marginalized indigenous
youth to get them out of this extreme condition. But some observations suggest that the present
educational system is geared towards the western model, making the marginalized
become more alienated with knowledge that is offered. Worst, the learners who
completely embrace this type of education cannot find the relevance in their
present life or those who are able to advance their education to a higher level
totally forget and discriminate their own culture and ways of learning and
doing things. The marginalized and indigenous need is education that will lead
them to new paths of learning to do things applicable in their own contexts, to
make them sustainable through lifelong learning without eliminating the roots
of their knowledge and culture. As part
of the joint research project between Leyte Normal University (LNU) and United Nations,
Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) entitled:
Documenting the Life and Culture of the Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines:
A Case Study of the Mamanwa Tribe in Basey, Samar for FY 2017-2020 which is aimed to eradicate
poverty of the marginalized and indigenous groups by “reorienting the teacher
education program”, this study’s contribution is on sourcing baseline data on
demographics: livelihood /social security. In
addition, the theory of personal resourcefulness (Kulkarni, 2016) emphasizes in
one’s own capability for initiating actions towards creation and growth of
enterprise. One half of the Mamanwas in Basey had only reached elementary education, the other half
are illiterate who expressed their desire to learn to read (Espada, 2017). So,
it is interesting to know how the Mamanwas survived
and they can hardly sustain their basic needs as reported by Espada (2017). Therefore,
this study looked into the entrepreneurial initiatives
of Mamanwas considering them educational attainment
and living condition. The findings of this study will be the basis in proposing
a research-based extension project to help equip the Mamanwa
tribe to enhance them entrepreneurial skills and to sustain their livelihood
and improve their quality of life. 3. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDYThis
study sought to examine the entrepreneurial opportunities of Mamanwa tribe in Basey, Samar.
Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: 1)
What
are the current sources of income of the Mamanwas? 2)
What
are the products they sell? 3)
What
are the needed raw materials used in producing the products? 4)
How
they produce the products? 5)
What
is the most in demand product they produce and sell? 6)
What
kind of assistance they need in producing the products? 4. METHODSResearch
Design The study
utilized an evaluative case study design-single case (Merriam 1998). It employed
guide questions in-depth interview and focus group discussion in obtaining the
data from the respondents. Likewise, observations were conducted when the
researchers visited the respondents in their houses. Sampling This
study used the purposive sampling since the investigator will focus on a
particular group of IPs only. The inclusion/exclusion criteria on the
participants are as follows: 1) Member/s of the tribe who are engaged in
livelihood activities; 2) Must be able to express one’s self using a language
that is understandable both to the informant and the researcher/investigator. Participants The
participants/informants in the study were the Mamanwa
tribe members in Basey, Samar. Data
Gathering and Analysis In
gathering data for this study, a permit from the gatekeepers – the tribe
chieftain, the pastor, the Barangay Captain., the Municipal Mayor was sought.
Then, a scheduled visit for the focus group interview was set. During the
interview and focus group discussion, informants who were available at the time
of visit were gathered in one house and were asked questions following the
instrument guide. Likewise, observations to respondents during house visits
were conducted. The data gathered was analyzed through two cycles of coding,
categories and themes were developed (Wa-Mbaleka and
Gladstone, 2018). Ethical
Considerations An
informed consent was sought from the participants as well as permission from
the gatekeepers were sought. The participants were assured of the
confidentiality of their answers to questions. Respect to the participants was
observed throughout the study. Names of the participants were not used, instead
codes were used in reporting the data. Findings The
findings are presented below based on the research questions and themes of the
study: Sources
of income The main
source of income of the Mamanwas is farming and other
related agricultural jobs, handicraft and mat weaving, abaca and rattan
gathering, and souvenir making like necklace, bracelet, key chain
and refrigerator magnet. Likewise, Espada, 2017 reported that Mamanwas harvested abaca and rattan and sell it in the town
at a very low price. Sometimes they use rattan to make
baskets and sell it also at a low price. NCCA, 2015 reported the lifeway of the
Mamanwa is founded on slash-and-burn cultivation on
small patches and minimal wet rice agriculture. Food gathering is heavily
relied upon. Products
for sell The Mamanwas are engaged in handicrafts and souvenir making
thus they are selling products to the public such as bracelet ring, necklace,
basket, key chain, erring, refrigerator magnet seed, “banig”
made of tikog and “duyan”
made of rattan. Somkumar, 2007 hammocks, and other
household containers. In addition, Espada, 2017 revealed that a 35-year-old mother
of five sells souvenir items like pen abd necklace at
the tourism office in Basey. She sells the necklace
for P50 while the pen is worth P20. On the other hand, Miller et. al, 1976
reported that in the past Mamanwas practiced silent
bartering. Their honey or wild pig were exchanged with bananas or other items.
They also have a practice in large scale trade of rattan, abaca, and woven
sleeping mats. Raw
materials needed In the
production of souvenir items and handicrafts, they needed the following raw materials:
nito (black and brown) used in preparing bracelet
ring, necklace and key chain; “uway”
or rattan used in preparing basket, “duyan”, “kaing”, hammocks, etc.; abaca used in making ropes, bags
and decors, “kawayan” or bamboo used in preparing
pens, house materials and souvenirs; and “agsam” used
in preparing erring, bracelet, and placemat; tikog
leaves used in making garland and mat. Espada, 2017 revealed that Mamanwas sells necklaces made out of
seeds called kabug-kabug from the salugay
vine that thrives in the thick forest, about 25 kilometers away from their
community. How products are made? The
souvenir items and handicraft products are made manually, a traditional method
using knife, wires and other tools. They started using
the traditional method since when they learn how to make the products. Most
in demand product Among the
handicrafts and souvenir items that Mamanwas were
producing, the most in demand product is the refrigerator magnet seed. All of the
participants answered the same product which is easily sold out or bought by
the buyers. Assistance
needed in making and selling the products In spite of their skill in handicrafts and souvenir making and the training
they’ve got from Department of Trade and Industry (Espada, 2017), the Mamanwas are still in need of assistance in making and
selling their products. One of the commenst of the
participants was “I hope to have a regular buyer and to improve the quality of
my products and for me to have a better income to support the daily needs of my
family”. So, the Mamanwas want to have materials like
magnet, beads, string, tools, machines and designs.
They needed technical assistance on product quality assessment. They also lack
marketing skills including cooperative education. This finding corroborated to
Espada,2017 in her findings that Mamanwas needed
assistance like skills training but also equipment, materials, marketing and promotion of their products. 5. SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONThe
entrepreneurial activities of Mamanwa tribe in Basey, Samar is quite impressive despite of their lack of
education and living condition. Their traits, resilience and positive attitude
towards life significantly contribute to a brighter future ahead. The
theory of personal resourcefulness was proven in this study that Mamanwas are capable on their own initiative to initiate in
improving their quality of life. The main
source of income of the Mamanwas is subsistence
farming. However, they are also engaged in making and selling products to
augment their income for their daily sustenance. The products that they
produced are handicrafts and souvenir items which they made manually or
traditionally. They are using raw materials like abaca, rattan, seeds etc. in
making the souvenir and other household products. The most in demand product is
refrigerator magnet seed. However, they lack materials, tools, designs and
other assistance like training in marketing their products as well as food
preparation and cooperative education. Therefore,
based on the findings of this study, an extension project proposal on
technology assistance and training for entrepreneurs will be proposed and
implemented to enhance the entrepreneurial skills of Mamanwas. Also, a follow-up study be conducted one year after the implementation of the project. SOURCES OF FUNDINGThis research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. CONFLICT OF INTERESTThe author have declared that no competing interests exist. ACKNOWLEDGMENTNone. REFERENCES [1] Asia Pacific Association for Basic
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