Tablas Island Lumber Industry

Tablas Island Lumber Industry

According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (2010) plantations of coconut occupy the largest cropping category within San Andres at 4085 hectares or nearly 78% of total agricultural lands.  The commercial value of the coconut primarily concerns its value as a source of copra, a low value non food commodity that has a variety of industrial applications but more recently it is coming to be seen as a good source of timber.    

Coconut in past has primarily been grown for copra.

Copra sun drying.

The coconut plantation as the lumber harvesting crew arrives.  Note the density of growth.

Our location in Barangay Agpudlos provides a perfect vantage point to observe the thinning of an old coconut palm plantation . These coconut palms can bear fruit for as long as 70 years. In height we estimate these stately old trees to be about 25 meters tall or more.  Dario, the municipality’s agricultural representative, tells us that coconut plantations yield best when tree densities allow maximum exposure to sunlight. Good thinning thus allows for a better harvest and allows provides a source of lumber for local building needs.

Several things amaze us about this harvest.   We hear the power saws start up around 7 a.m.  and a few minutes  later the crash of a coconut tree falling to the ground. Then the amazing task of cutting this lengthy tree into lumber using a power saw begins.  With an extra long four feet  cutting bar, I can only imagine the strength required to hold the saw upright for any length of time, let alone all day, while carving out freehand these planks and boards of varying sizes.  Look at the physique these guys have developed from their work!  Not to mention the stamina required to withstand this extreme physical activity in the 36°C+ temperatures and overwhelming humidity. These are conditions that would send most people to the shade of the coconut tree!  We thought they would work early morning when it is cooler and quit before noon. But no, they worked throughout the day until about 4:30, though they did take a decent break of a half hour or so mid morning and afternoon and also a two hour lunch.

This worker is cutting planks from the logs, all by sight and free hand.

Notice thinning of the plantation in the background leaving neatly spaced coconut trees more open to the sunlight.

Another guy is cutting boards from larger planks, again free hand!

Coconut lumber is rich in color and looks like mahogany.  Coconut trees have no natural growth rings, no branches so the lumber is free of knots and imperfections.  One has to wonder how the tree supports its incredible height.  Research shows that the outer trunk is high in silica, giving it elasticity and strength which makes the outer wood excellent specifically for pillars, trusses and rafters and weight bearing construction generally. 

Here on Tablas Island we see houses sided with coconut wood.  It is not always easy however for us to know for certain if it is coconut wood or mahogany.

Imagine, cut using a power saw.

A house in Mari Norde with what we think is coconut lumber siding.

Framing of house.

Coconut timber is an important industry for Tablas Island.

Tablas Island: Romblon Breeding Station

Romblon Breeding Station

A demonstration farm center  that deserves to be a great tourist attraction.  

The training center, pictured above, is still under construction.

  The farm allows you to wander and visit four legged and feathered friends.  For those like us from away, this was the first opportunity to study water buffalo thoroughly enjoying their natural habitat.  They must be able to close their nostrils like hippos because periodically they suddenly submerge to rid their heads of the many flies that descend as soon as they surface.

 Individual large pens are home to sheep and goats.

Cattle range more freely.

   Pigs are in the Piggery.

You walk  down to visit the fish farm where Talapia are being raised.  There are two fish ponds operational at the moment with several potential ponds not in use.  At the far end, fingerlings are being raised.

A shade house is operating.

There is a monkey house that needs a monkey! Monkeys are in the rainforest on Tablas but are difficult to locate.

 

Now, our feathered friends.  Ducks, turkeys, native chickens and ostriches. The most entertaining of all for us were the ostriches.  First of all, we meet a worker carrying a newly laid ostrich egg weighing in at 1.5 kg!  Selling price?  500 pesos ($11 Can).  We are told that an ostrich can run 70 km per hour.  Their feet are the same size as mine!  They appeared to be only partly dressed (molting).  When they drink, they must  lift their neck high enough to let the water trickle down.  The darker ostrich is the dominant male.  You  wouldn’t want argue with any of them!

The ostriches provide entertainment for young and old! 

 Do you hink this one had a little too much water?

How about a race at 70km/hour?

 

Thank You Dario and Faye for introducing us to the Romblon Breeding Station!

Tablas Island Rice Farming

Rice farming is done the traditional way on Tablas Island.   Plowing is done with a bullock or sometimes a rota tiller.  Seedlings are grown in one corner of the patty and transplanted at the right time to catch the rain for those hectares that depend on the rains for moisture.  Growing rice is a tedious process requiring much tending.  When we first arrived, a rice field was ploughed and the seeds were being broadcast by hand.  We have followed this field for six weeks. The seeds germinated and grew quickly reaching about 6 inches in height is one week.  Then unexpected rains came flooding the field.  This encouraged snails to eat the tender shoots.  Despite hand picking the snails, many bare patches were left when the water receded.

In sequence, the pictures:  broadcasting seed, snail picking, and spotty growth due to snails eating the young sprouts.

This picture was taken the first day we arrived on Talbas.  The farmer is hand broadcasting the seed.  We watched this field carefully over the six week period we were there.

Picking Snails After the Rain

Transplanting to fill in the gaps from snail damage.

Farmer's wife transplanting.  This is a family operated rice farm.

Dario’s father has been a rice farmer for a life time. 

Dario and his father.  Both have family rice farms.

Rice harvesting using a hand sickle.

This was the first time we had ever seen rice in anything but a bag or a box in a grocery store!

 Different varieties of rice are grown, each given a research number.  Seed is provided by government for planting.  All aspects of the rice growing and harvest are hand labour, ploughing with the bullock or rota tiller  being the only exception.

Hand sickled rice piled by field waiting for pick up.

             It is then hand threshed winnowed and bagged to be spread out each day to sun dry.

Dario’s father operates the rice mill.  Farmers bring in their unshelled rice for dehulling.  First the rice is weighed, then taken up the ladder and dumped into the rice mill. 

 Hulls are separated.  The courser material is separated from the finer hulls which are used for animal feed. 

The farmer’s rice is bagged for him to take home to feed his family or, if extra, to sell.

In order to buy land, Dario’s family often sold their rice instead of eating it themselves.  Here is a picture of Dario’s father (who operates the mill), his mother and Dario himself who grows rice as well.

Food security is assured for families by their small rice farms.  Many rice farmers also fish.  Fish is dried for monsoon season when they cannot fish, assuring a secure source of protein.



Tablas Island Victoria Barangay, a visit with Maria

Victoria and Maria:

The most outstanding, true marketer attending out workshops was Maria (Mary) from Victoria Barangay.  We knew that she would be a bit late each time, now we know why.  Friday was designated the day to make the trip to Victoria.  The road is passable in all seasons with care.  The road is narrow with short sections concreted (these sections were determined to be the most wet).  We were told it would take one half hour.  Driving is tedious.  One has to take ones time to navigate around washed out areas.  Mary would have come each morning by motorcycle taxi.  It was amazing what she brought each day!  Leaves from the forest, special for making curried fish, large papaya, coconuts (usually three big ones), a pineapple and her hand woven hats and baskets!   Too bad we don’t have a picture of her arriving on the motorbike taxi!

She always brought fresh produce for us. One day she brought a papaya and coconut, saying, ‘Papaya and coconut are free, bag will cost you 180 pesos’. Now that is marketing! Her spirit and enthusiasm shone through the workshops. Not surprising, she sold out each time!

Note the hang tag designed during the workshops for Maria's hats.

We were fortunate to travel to Victoria barangay and to visit Mary.

Mary’s home is built from native materials that grow in Victoria. 

 She cleverly designed her work studio as a loft, two bamboo steps up from the kitchen/living area.  Here she is in her loft where she does her weaving holding garlic she has braided.  Victoria barangay is locally famous for its braided garlic.

These are the palm fronds used to prepare basket materials.

Her garden is filled with plants that we in Canada cultivate during our short summers or have as green leaf plants indoors  year round:  cosmos, marigold (she points out that marigold leaves can be boiled to make a tea to treat stomach ache and help to protect gardens from certain insect pests), asters, split leaf philodendron to name a few.  She has several pineapple plants and we can see the yellow ginger root growing.  Below  Mary is holding the tree from which  they make fences.

Here is Mary with one of her sons.  He brings us  fresh, young coconut.  The coconut water is  much appreciated in the heat of the day.

Maria's water is piped in to her yard.  We noted that Victoria barangay has pvc pipes running throughout their barangay.

Just down from Maria's house is an incredible swimming area, part of the river.  How refreshing is this in the heat of the day!  Clear, pure water from the surrounding mountains.

A visit to Victoria barangay and Maria is a great thing to add to one's bucket list!