Making “jobo pots” is an income-generating activity for communities in Hinatuan, Surigao del Norte and supports the national anti-plastic campaign.
At Hinatuan Mining Corp., members of the mining community, mostly senior citizens, are given the opportunity to earn by making “jobo pots” that the mining company will use for growing planting materials, instead of the usual small plastic bags.
Pronounced with an “h”, the jobo seedling pot is made from species of leaves native to the island such as bariw (Pandamus copelandii), nipa (Nypa fruticans) and coconut (Cocos nucifera).
HMC initiated the jobo pot project as a campaign to help reduce the use of synthetic polyethylene bags in massive production of quality germplasms in forest tree nurseries. The jobo is used to hold the seed, instead of plastics, as the seeds are prepared for planting materials.
It is an income-generating activity for the community through HMC’s Community Output-based Livelihood Program led by the company’s Mine Environmental Protection and Enhancement Department.
HMC buys the jobo pot for P5 apiece. Each participant in the project will produce 5,000 jobo pots per contract, which HMC will buy for P25,000.
Lola Remedios Mellijor, 84, earns by making jobo pots for HMC. When she finishes a contract, that is a clear P25,000 additional funds for her family.
She says it’s a past-time for her as she stays at home most of the time. She is happy to be earning again and contribute to the income of her family despite being a senior citizen.
What she is most proud about is the fact that the traditional weaving that her parents had taught her, using native leaves, is in demand again, thanks to HMC.
When she was young, she says, everybody in the community knew how to weave with leaves. These days, HMC is inspiring everyone to weave again and some are only recently learning the craft.
The jobo pot project is a unique approach of providing livelihood to the communities while instilling the importance of caring for the environment.
“It is one-of-a-kind, a two-in-one program that provides income to the elders in Hinatuan and a campaign to help protect the island against plastic pollution,” said HMC environment manager Forester Manuel Torres Jr.
“The livelihood program provides opportunities for the unemployed, mostly senior citizens, of HMC’s host and neighboring communities, many of whom are skilled weavers,” said Marichu Calungsod, an environment specialist at HMC.
“No hassle in out-planting the seedlings. When the pot decomposes, it provides supplemental nutrients to help the tree seedlings grow,” she said.
“This project is a perfect example of an efficient partnership between responsible mining and its communities. The jobo project is effectively rekindling what seems to have become a dormant skill of the elders in the communities, the art of weaving that has been passed on from generations and tells a lot about the socio-cultural narrative of the island of Hinatuan. We are proud to have initiated this project,” Torres said.