Tablas Island Mari Norte Tiger Grass Brooms

Barangay Mari Norte Tiger Grass Brooms

 ‘Tiger Grass Capital of Tablas’: the making of these speciality  brooms unfolded as we explored the village.  Tiger Grass was drying everywhere:  covering the road, on the roofs of houses, on top of a jeepney, yes everywhere. 

We visit the home of the Barangay Captain and discover that he is in San Andres attending his neighbor’s funeral.  We later meet him on a motorcycle on his way home.  The Captain’s sloped concrete driveway is covered with (you guessed it) Tiger Grass. We make our way to the storage room/work area for making Tiger Grass brooms.  Nine people are employed at the Captain’s workshop making these brooms.  A conversation with the Captain’s wife raises concerns about input costs and selling price leaving very little margin for the business.  It was also noted that the middleman marks up his purchase price by more than 100%.

We make our way through the Tiger Grass covered street to another home where broom manufacture is happening.  Boys along the way are beating the seeds (chaff) out of the Tiger Grass.  The grass must be at the right stage of drying to be able to dispel the seeds.  Lots of effort, lots of dust at this stage. 

To start theTiger Grass broom making process,  this  little girl is separating the upper portion of the tiger grass flower (the large drooping panicle) which will be integrated to expand the density of  the head of the broom.  CESO volunteer Allan Sorflaten watches as another worker sorts long and strong stems that will be used to form the basis of the broom handle.  .

The handle is firmly compacted, then tightly bound.  Lots of strength is required to make such a good firm durable handle. The middle picture shows  strong wire threaded down the wall to the handle maker  so he  can roll, pull, tighten and secure the broom head.

Next the broom head will be fanned out and decoratively woven  to hold the fan shape of the broom.

Mari Norte Tiger Grass Brooms are of sought after because of their durability, dust capturing capacity, lightness.  Excellent for dusting, light sweeping, chasing spider webs.  Better than a vacuum cleaner

The Captain of Mari Norte Barangay driving his motorcycle on his way back from his neighbor’s funeral.