FURNITURE (Rattan Making)

Making Rattan Furniture

There are indications that rattan has been used since the early days of mankind for the production of furniture, though no exact historical data exists. It was originally exported from Indonesia, where it predominately grows, and eventually reached the shores of China. There, skilled craftsman built not only furniture but also baskets and other household items.

Basic Materials Used for Making Filipino Handicrafts:

•  Abaca 
  
•  Rattan 
•  Bamboo
•  Coconut Shells
•  Fibers 

Rattan

This material is often used in making furniture. In a typical Filipino house, you will see a set of furniture made with rattan, a bamboo-like wood which is more hallow and solid. These grow into hundreds of meters long.

Rattan is a member of the palm family ( the genus clamu). Rattan grows as a long slender stem, similar to a vine, up to 200 meters in length according to the species. Yet it maintains an almost uniform diameter throughout its length. It has an inner core and is not hollow like bamboo.

It is one of nature's strongest materials. The outer portion of the stem is extremely hard and durable, while the inner portion of the stem is softer and somewhat porous and not hollow like bamboo. It will not splinter or break, is extremely resilient and is ideal for the making of furniture.

The Process of Making Rattan Furniture in Bulan,Sorsogon

If you see the rattan furniture at your house which is beautiful and antiques maybe you don’t know how it process from raw material until it is done and ready to put at everyone house. The process is taking time about 45 days from the beginning until ready to be shipped.

There is no harvesting season for rattan as it grows year round. Harvesting can be difficult due to the topography and inaccessibility of the jungle. 

• The harvested rattan is cut into 12-15 foot lengths and tied into large bundles to make the journey from the jungle to a processing area.

• There the workers remove the bark and cut the lengths into thin strips to be used in cane seats and chair backs. The pithy interior is then cut into reed for use in wickerwork. 

Because rattan is extremely strong and can be fastened as securely as wood, the entire pole is used to make furniture. This looks like bamboo but is much stronger.

•   When heated with steam or a blowtorch, rattan becomes very pliable and can be bent into a variety of shapes without cracking.
• 
  
  

•        Finished rattan furniture is as strong as steel and is nearly indestructible. It requires no particular maintenance and is extremely durable. Having been fumigated at the factory, it is also virtually immune against rodents, unlike bamboo which deteriorates relatively quickly.

Even if the condition of the furniture is in disrepair, most items can be restored to their original condition.

http://www.balagi-rattan.com/about_rt_processing.htm

RICE FARMING

 "Paray"

RICE is a cereal grain which serves as a staple food for many people around the world. Rice is usually grown in wetland or tropical area’s where one crop can survive up to twenty years. 

The plant can grow up to 1..8 meters tall with long slender leaves up to  100cm long and 2.5cm wide. The seed is the edible grain with can be anywhere from  5 to 12mm in length and 2 to 3mm in thickness.

Choose your planting location.

 Make sure the soil in that area consists of slightly acidic clay for the best results. You may also plant your rice seeds in buckets with the same type of soil. Pick a location that receives full sunlight, as rice grows best with bright light and warm temperatures of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 21 degrees Celsius). Make sure your area allows for 3 to 6 months of plant and flower growth.

Gather at least 1 to 2 ounces (28.3495 to 56.6990 g) of rice seeds to sow. 

Soak the seeds in water to prep them for planting. Allow them to soak for at least 12 hours but not longer than 36 hours. Remove the seeds from the water afterward.

Plant the rice seeds throughout the soil, starting while temperatures are still warm during the fall or the spring season.

If you are using buckets, fill them with at least 6 inches (15 cm) of moist soil. Then add the rice seeds. Add compost or mulch to the soil, slightly covering the rice grains. However, it is okay to expose the rice grains.

Fill the buckets or the garden space with at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) of water.

Observe the water levels of the planting area. 

Maintain at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) of water for the rice to grow. Expect to see shoots from the grains grow after about 1 week.

Thin, or space out, the rice seeds to prevent crowding. 

For best results, thin out the seedlings no more than 4 inches (10.2 cm) apart in rows that range between 9 to 12 inches (22.9 to 30.5 cm) apart. Allow the seeds to grow up to 7 inches (17.8 cm) tall, which takes on average of about 1 month.

Wait for the rice grains to mature. 

This will take approximately 3 or 4 months. Let the water dry out or drain any excess water before removing the rice for harvesting.

MATERIALS THAT USE FOR PLANTING PALAY:

http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Rice

COPRA

Coconut tree

The Coconut Tree (Cocos Nucifera L.) is called "The Tree of Life" because of the endless list 

of products and by-products derived from its various parts. Food, shelter, fuel - name it, the 

coconut has it.

The coconut fruit produces buko, often used for salads, halo-halo( crushed ice with 

sweetened fruit), sweets and pastries.

Coconut oil is extracted from copra (dried coconut meat/kernel)

The coconut husks are made of bristle fiber. The abundance of fiber makes it good, stable 

supply for cottage industries that make brushes, doormats, carpets, bags, ropes, yarn fishing 

nets, and mattresses, etc.

Out of the bud of the coconut tree's is a juice called coconut toddy or tuba. The 

fermented juice is the common alcoholic drink in the coconut region. It is also used to 

produce vinegar.

Tuba after being left for five days then distilled, produces an alcoholic spirit known locally as 

lambanog which is more or less 98% proof.

The most important use of coconut shell is activated carbon produced from its charcoal. 

It is utilized in air purification systems such as cooker hoods, air conditioning, industrial gas 

purification systems, and industrial and gas masks.

Coconut

Botanically, a coconut is a simple dry fruit known as a fibrous drupe (not a true nut). The husk (mesocarp) is composed of fibers called coir and there is an inner "stone" (the endocarp). This hard endocarp (the outside of the coconut as sold in the shops of non-tropical countries) has three germination pores that are clearly visible on the outside surface once the husk is removed. It is through one of these that the radicle emerges when the embryo germinates.

 Adhering to the inside wall of the endocarp is the testa, with a thick albuminous endosperm (the coconut "meat"), the white and fleshy edible part of the seed. The endosperm surrounds a hollow interior space, filled with air and often a liquid referred to as coconut water, not to be confused with coconut milk. Coconut milk is made by grating the endocarp and mixing it with (warm) water. This produces a thick, white liquid called coconut milk that is used in much Asian cooking. Coconut water from the unripe coconut, on the other hand, is drunk fresh as a refreshing drink.

Copra Production in Bulan,Sorsogon

Copra production is an important enterprise. Without copra production, there would be no palm oil on the supermarket shelves.In Bulan Sorsogon, copra production may be a family business. The whole operation may take place on a couple acres of land adjacent to the family dwelling.

Harvesting the Coconut

One of the methods to harvest the coconuts is to make a long pole from bamboo pieces put together. At one end a sharp knife is attached to the bamboo pole so that the harvester is able to detach the coconut from the tree.

Coconut palms grow to a towering height. Some fall down by themselves, but most have to be cut down. This is done by a long bamboo pole with a sickle-shaped knife tied to the end. This device is called a “kawit” in the Bulaneños language. Sometimes extra poles have to be tied to the end of the “kawit” so that it can reach the coconuts.

Some farmers prefer to climb the coconut palm and cut off the ripe coconuts with a machete.

These simplified lists of the stages in making copra:

GATHER COCONUTS (500 coconuts makes 1 bag of copra)

The first step is the harvesting of the matured nuts. This is the most arduous and dangerous

step since its requires climbing each tree or palm (old coconut can be more than 30 meters 

tall) in order to pick the mature nuts.

Many Bulaneños farmers do not have trucks. To convey the coconuts to the site of copra production, they use a carabao. They tie two large baskets to the carabao in such a way that one basket hangs down on each side. Even if the farmer has a truck, they still needs the carabao to carry the coconuts away from the trees to a convenient place. It is difficult, if not impossible, to drive a truck to each tree on a typical barrios coconut plantation.

When the coconuts arrive at the site of family copra production, the work begins. Typically, a family hires neighbors to help them.

 HUSK THE COCONUT

Thehusk (mesocarp) is removed by pushing the coconut on a sharp steel bar.

A coconut has an outer fibrous husk which is called bunot in Bulan. These husks are removed with the help of a device called a buntanan. This is a Y-shaped frame with a pole sticking up and a mitten-shaped knife at the end of the pole. It is also possible to use a machete or an axe, but these are not as effective as a buntanan.

Inside the husk, a coconut has a hard shell which is called a “buok” or “Lobi” in Bulan. The coconut shell is cut in half by striking it with the machete.Inside the coconut shell is the edible part of the coconut. This is removed with a device called a lugit. A lugit has the following components: a handle attached to an S-shaped bar with a sharp circular disk at the end. A worker takes hold of the handle and gouges out the coconut meat with the sharp disk.

Copra can be made by smoke drying, sun dried or kiln drying. Sun  drying requires little more than racks and sufficient sunlight.

ARRANGE THE COCONUT ON THE DRYING RACK

The coconut meat is converted into copra in a structure called a landahan. A landahan has an open pit for fire below and a horizontal bamboo frame above. The coconut meat is placed on the bamboo frame, where it is heated by the fire.

In the safest type of landahan, the fire is not directly below the bamboo frame, but off to one side. In this case, a cement conduit or tunnel channels the heat of the fire, so that it travels horizontally through the passage and then upward to the bamboo frame, upon which the coconut pieces are resting. The bamboo frame is enclosed by a low cement wall to concentrate the heat on the coconut pieces. Sometimes wood is used instead of cement for the wall.

The preferred fuel is the dried husk of the coconut. The fire must be tended. Dried coconut husks are added as needed. The coconut pieces have to cook all day and part of the night before they are converted into copra.

LIGHT A FIRE UNDER THE COCONUTS EVERY DAY UNTIL  FLESH HAS DRIED.

TAKE THE DRIED FLESH (ie the copra ) OUT OF THE SHELL

The next day, when the landahan is sufficiently cool, the well cooked pieces are separated from the half-cooked pieces. The half-cooked pieces are placed on the bottom next to the bamboo slats and the cooked pieces on top. The landahan fire is kindled once more and the coconut pieces are allowed to cook for about a day. When the cooked pieces become cool, the process is finished.

There are variant methods of processing copra. The coconuts may be cooked before removing the shell. Sometimes fire is dispensed with altogether and the coconut pieces are simply allowed to dry in the sun.

The dried copra is brought from the remote areas by tricycle and jeepney to copra dealers in the bigger towns and cities.

POUND THE COPRA INTO SMALLER PIECES INSIDE THE BAG FOR SELLING COPRA.

  SELL COPRA.

http://my_sarisari_store.typepad.com/
http://my_sarisari_store.typepad.com/my_sarisari_store/coconut_copra_tuba_suka_and_lambanog/

CHARCOAL (The Making Of “Uling”)

Charcoal ”Uling”

•         Charcoal is a porous, solid product obtained when carbonaceous materials such as cellulose, wood, peat, or bituminous coal are partially burned in the absence of air. Charcoal is the chief fuel used for cooking and is also an effective purifier.

•         Charcoal is widely used in the Philippines, especially here in Southern region. This method involves filling a large pit with wood, igniting it, and covering the pit with soil. Two small pipes are inserted to allow little smoke to escape from the pit.

Two Types In Making Charcoal:

•         Hardwood(Logs)

•         Coconut Shell

•         A great number of people in the remote areas of Bulan,Sorsogon cook over open fires. For many, it’s the only method available to them. Often, even people who have a gas stove inside the house will opt to cook outside. Charcoal is the usual fuel for these cook fires. The charcoal used here is not the powdered and shaped briquettes, but the natural style, sometimes called “lump charcoal” in the English Language.

           During our last visit, we had the opportunity to watch this process up close. We were camped on our property, getting to know the neighbors, and laying out where we wanted our house to be built. Our neighbor to the east has a very nice and well-built structure in a patch of preserved old growth forest. They have used it in the past for family gatherings and such.

( An active charcoal pit)

The Process of "Uling" Making

These are the processes involved in charcoal making:

Step 1:  Coconut shell charcoal is manufactured by constructing dome-shaped mound, or “pit”, at most five meters below the ground surface. To start the process of uling making, construct a large pit on the ground that is far from the community since large amounts of smoke is emitted when the raw materials are burned that could possibly impose risks to the health. At least 5 meters below the ground is highly recommended.

Step 2: Coconut shell are put in the pit. After filling up the pit, lit the coconut shell with fire.

It takes two to three days, or more for all the wood to burn down to charcoal. To prevent the fire from going out, or the wood from burning up, the pit has to be watched constantly. 

Step 3: To control the fire, pour some water if necessary until the desired fire temperature is reached.

Step 4: Immediately cover the pit with flattened metal scraps or flat wood and swathe the pit with soil. Be reminded that there should be little holes for the smoke to come out.

Step 5: After three days, the pit can already be raked out of the hole and the charcoal processed under the earth can be removed. Always be careful when removing the metal scraps and when unearthing the charcoal briquettes from the hole since the temperature within the pit is still hot even after three days of processing the coconut shell before it turns into charcoal.

Step 6: After unearthing the briquettes of charcoal, the pieces of charcoal are then laid on the ground and then sorted according to their sizes. Bigger chunks of charcoal tend to cost more as compared to the ones with smaller sizes. However, customers have different preferences with the sizes of the briquettes, depending mostly on their purpose.

http://www.charcoalburners.co.uk/charcoal.php

DRIED FISH

Sun-Drying at Zone-6 Bulan,Sorsogon

PROCESSING

Fish Processing

•         Fish Processing is a way of preserving fish and at the same time improving their quality.  In the process, the properties of the fish change.

•         There are many ways to process fish.  Some methods such as salting and drying have been used since the ancient times, long before modern technology was introduced.  Others involved the use of chemicals and electrical devices.  But whatever process is used, the fish to be processed should always be fresh.

 Why we process fish?

•         Fresh fish cannot be kept for a long time without refrigerating, so we have to process the fish for preservation. Many fish traders are working at the beach. They buy the fish from fishermen, then they process it to carry the fish to town for selling at the market.

Different Methods or Techniques of Fish Processing:

•        Salting
•        Smoking
•        Drying
•        Curing
•        Dehydration
•        Pickling
•       Cooking
•       Canning
•       Fermentation

Bulan,Sorsogon: Sun-Dried Fish

Sun drying is one of the most common and traditional methods of food preservation in the Bulan. Although the cost of the process is fairly cheap, sun drying becomes problematic during the rainy season. Also, sun dried products are more prone to microbial contamination due to exposure to wind and dust.

Dried split fish or “bis-ang”

Commonly known as "daing" (split form) is the fish that has been converted from the fresh state to a much lower moisture level with the use of heat with or without salt to maintain its acceptability over an extended period of time.

This two girl carefully lays out fish to dry under the sun at Zone-6  Bulan Sorsogon. The sundried fish is locally called “Daing”.

Drying

This method is also known as natural dehydration.  Like the salting method, it lowers the water content of the fish to a point where microorganisms, bacteria, enzymes, and yeasts cannot grow and multiply.  The most popular fish preservation method is solar drying.  It is done in combination with salting.  Fish dried under the sun look and taste better.

Steps in Drying:

1. Wash the “Daing” thoroughly with clean and fresh water.

2.      Split the fish into butterfly fillet and remove the gills and internal organs. Wash fish again thoroughly.

3. Place the fish in a strainer and drain.

4. Prepare the brine solution (i.e., mixture of water and salt). For a 60-kg. fresh fish, use 6.5 kls. of salt and 5 gallons of water.


5. Soak the fish in brine solution for one hour

6. Drain the salted fish. Arrange or lay fish in wire screen mesh. Do not place the fish on top of each other so that fish will dry evenly.

7. Rinse the fish thoroughly under running water to wash
off excess salt

8.Dry fish under the sun or direct sunlight for two to three days.

9. After drying, allow the dried fish to cool for at least 6

hours at room temperature.

10. Weigh, pack, seal, and store dried fish at room temperature.

http://www.pinoy-entrepreneur.com/2010/07/12/different-methods-of-fish-processing/

"Most of my parents' friends and most of my parents' friends' children also have degrees.  This doesn't mean that they've managed to find the kind of work they wanted.  Not at all; they went to university because someone, at a time when universities seemed important, said that in order to rise in the world, you had to have a degree.  And thus the world was deprived of some excellent gardeners, bakers, antique dealers, sculptors, and writers."

-Paulo Coelho-

UNIT EARNERS 2014:

ALDRIN BUETA

MARILYN GIDOC

CHRISTINA ESTREMERA

ARJAY ZUÑIGA

CYSON TAN

JEROME HUBILLA

THANK YOU!

GOD SPEED!