A member of the Central Mindanao Green Workers Association makes bamboo face shield prototypes. (Photo courtesy of Manuel Jayme).
DAVAO CITY – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has provided PHP200,000 financial assistance to a group of Cotabato farmers in M’lang town that produces face shields with bamboo components.
In a statement Tuesday, MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the agency decided to provide support to the group following the deluge of orders that came in following his Facebook post promoting the locally-made product.
“During a Management Committee meeting of the MinDA, my proposal to provide the farmers the financial assistance to be taken from the savings of the different offices to buy tools and work tables was supported by all the members of the ManCom,” Piñol said.
"In a dramatic show of admiration at the resilience of the farmers in times of crisis, netizens lapped up the social media post on the unique Bamboo Face Shield with readership reaching 7 million in a little over 24 hours," he added.
The face shield is designed by Junroe Barrios, an agricultural engineer from M'lang who sought the help of a former Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) officer Manuel Jayme to develop their product.
The farmers, who belong to the Central Mindanao Green Workers Association and who all work at home, sought MinDA's support last week.
“As of yesterday (Aug. 10), the farmers were swamped with orders from all over the country, including resellers who jacked up the price by almost 150 percent,” Piñol said.
He added that Jayme decided to cut off marketing and distributorship arrangements with interested groups to keep the price at PHP80 per piece.
Delivered in places outside of Mindanao, the price could be at PHP95.00 per piece to include delivery.
Piñol said that MinDA, through its MinDATienda Program, will link up the farmers with big companies for huge orders to facilitate the delivery of the bamboo face shields.
“The program is expected to provide jobs for people in Mindanao where bamboo is widely grown and income for the farmers,” he said. (PNA)
