Exploring Alternative Responses to Unfair Trade

The PATAMABA Experience

Reeling from the economic downturn, women homebased workers feel that they need to develop at present a strong marketing network that will complement their livelihood activities. To really make a difference, they have to promote trade among themselves, and between themselves and other consumer groups locally, nationally, regionally, and globally.

Eight PATAMABA pilot areas were recipients of P100,000 each under the enterprise group project of Oxfam Hongkong. Their participation and exposure in marketing activities through the Oxfam Project served as training ground for the enhancement of their skills in marketing and for adopting new techniques in buying and selling in accordance with marketing trends.

Mutual Support (Tangkilikan) Among Local Community Groups

Angono chapter making detergent in their production center.

Spearheaded by PATAMABA at the community level, homebased workers and other workers in the informal economy, have heeded the call of “tangkilikan” and other mutual support movements. Group enterprise formation in PATAMABA Angono chapter, for example, reflect the importance of “tangkilikan” within the community and supplemented as well by proper networking. PATAMABA Angono is the duly recognized voice of informal workers in the locality and receives full backing and support from the Angono Informal Sector Task Force. Its history of productive engagement with national government agencies, local governments, trade unions, NGOs, academe, cooperatives and other groups cannot be overlooked. Economic activities such as production of bedroom slippers, candle wax, detergents, powdered candy (polvoron from vegetops) and fashion accessories are undertaken in the center, carried out in phases and timed when demand is deemed marketable. Angono producsts are patronized by members and community residents alike.

PATAMABA Balinggasa chapter producing powdered vegetops

In the case of PATAMABA Balingasa chapter (National Capital Region), further networking with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) made possible the sourcing of an additional P1 million grant in 2006 for a three-year project, that includes provision for bakery expansion. The Oxfam enterprise development grant for Balingasa initially facilitated the formation of a group enterprise with diversified product line - production and marketing of school uniforms, fashion accessories and beaded apparels and the Budbod Sustansya Project (powdered vegetops mixture). While the latter initially produced only polvoron (powdered candy), it has slowly, but surely expanded into a bakery, aptly named Lusog (healthy) Bakery that now specializes in 21 types of cookies and breads, with Budbod Sustansiya as special ingredient, patronized by loyal customers, young and old alike.

The ‘Ilaw ng Tahanan’ (Light of the Home) in Barangay Dumarais, La Paz, Tarlac, is a community based cooperative affiliated with the Tarlac Municipal and Provincial Federation of Cooperatives. The Oxfam Project helped in enhancing the group’s capability in product development (production of processed food items) and promotion and in strengthening networking skills. In addition to providing lending services to members, the cooperative keeps a store where group enterprise products are sold and patronized by members and other residents in the community.

Various products of pilot areas are displayed and for sale to walk-in customers in the PATAMABA office cum showroom located in Maginhawa St. PATAMABA continuously participates in local bazaars or trade fairs especially within Metro Manila, while members, particularly in the eight pilot sites, also regularly join local trade fairs in their locality.

Fashioning Fair Trade: Disenyo at Sariling Likha focused on women homeworkers in the Oxfam pilot areas who are now engaged in group enterprises as producers of various crafts.

Developing Capability in E-commerce

PATAMABA has been developing e-commerce capability through continued cooperation with organizations through website. With the knowledge gained during seminar on website development provided by WINNER-TIPS and ISIS-Manila, project activities under OXFAM funding were uploaded in the website of Homenet Southeast Asia as well as products and producers and outputs of research study.

A PATAMABA fashion accessories supplier (Eppie Labajo), whose workshop is situated in Laray, Cebu affirms the potential of on-line marketing and how far reaching this medium has attracted a number of buyers. Referring to an uploaded article featuring producers and their products in Oxfam pilot areas, Eppie said that a foreign buyer has already expressed interest to place orders for Philippine-made fashion accessories.

PATAMABA also embarked on an innovative, interactive and participatory approach known as participatory video method. To date, two projects of this kind had already been completed in cooperation with Homenet SEA, SONY Japan, the UP field work students and the REDO-CSWCD of UP. “Life Stories of the Informal Sector” (“Kwentong Buhay ng Manggagawang Impormal”) was the initial participatory video documentary made by PATAMABA members and fieldwork students that highlights homeworkers’ unique struggles, successes, continuing challenges and the story behind the products infused with a gender and development perspective. A second project entitled “Fashioning Fair Trade” (“Disenyo at Sariling Likha”), focused on women homeworkers in the Oxfam pilot areas who are now engaged in group enterprise as producers of various crafts, collectively known as homeworkers’ products. It will be a vehicle to convey women homeworkers’ advocacy towards fair trade and social marketing.

Campaigns for Changes at the Macro and Micro Levels

The negative effects of unfair trade through the influx of cheap and often smuggled garments and accessories continue to be felt by PATAMABA producers in the pilot areas: Bicol (where the demand for the traditional machine embroidery designs on bathrobes and pillow cases continues to be irregular); Pangasinan (where producers of baskets and bamboocraft are in constant search of market for their crafts), Cordilleras (aside from the limited market, producers face various challenges inherent to indigenous people), and Pinangga (high cost of materials and tedious work in ethnic hand embroidery limits big volume production). Experiences show that each group had to devise ways of working around limitations. In terms of fully addressing organizational sustainability and extending assistance in product marketing, these were achieved at different levels among the groups.

In the light of ongoing efforts by social movements and civil society groups to recast international trade policies to defend the interests and promote the welfare of the most vulnerable and marginalized, organizations of homebased workers and other women workers in the informal economy now feel the need to focus on global advocacy for better terms of trade. Through this exposure, PATAMABA leaders have evolved their own conception of fair trade, that they relentlessly advocate in various forms of campaigns for changes at the macro and micro levels of the economy, in collaboration with trade unions, business groups, and civil society organizations.

Pursuing advocacy work and mutual support movement…
where do we go from here?

The Oxfam Project has undeniably been of assistance in easing the adverse effects of globalization and the attendant unbridled liberalization which has affected many PATAMABA members. Through this project, local chapter producers in eight pilot areas had been recipients as well as participants in market research study, product development, capacity-building on enterprise development, and lobbying, advocacy and networking capability development using a gender perspective.

Infusing the “tangkilikan” concept in attaining mutual support among the group enterprises was well received in the PATAMABA communities, with social marketing as the key factor. Similarly, the Oxfam Project created awareness among PATAMABA participants that the following concerns must be pursued further - upgrade and strengthen capabilities of the organization in assisting homeworkers at the local communities; enhance further the capacity of the productivity center; increase provision of production equipment facilities; and technical and financial support in setting up a permanent marketing shop for homeworkers’ products. To boost the marketing of products from the pilot sites, PATAMABA sees the potential and bright prospect of developing e-commerce through the website. Showcasing and selling homeworkers’ products though the website can reach more number of prospective clients.

Meanwhile, women homeworkers and other workers in the informal economy continue to feel the pangs of import liberalization and dumping of foreign goods in the local market. That despite all the effort, still, they face difficulties trying to neutralize the negative effects on their livelihood and income. Very clearly, what they need is sustainable economic activities and a fair market for their products. This will enable them to sustain their needs for social security and protection towards living a decent life.