Guns for fish nets

Frail and bespectacled, Napisa Guimaluddin’s appearance belies her strong character. She was once active in the Bangsamoro women’s auxiliary. Today, she’s treasurer of the Buluan Bangsamoro Women’s Multi-purpose Cooperative.

Located in Buluan, Maguindanao, BBMWMC was put up in 1997, a year after government and the Moro National Liberation Front decided to end 30 years of shooting at each other.

The cooperative was formed after Growth with Equity in Mindanao offered to provide 90 members with fish cages and fry to grow tilapia. GEM’s assistance was granted through the Emergency Livelihood Assistance Program, a sub-program funded by the United States Agency for International Development. (Early this year, ELAP was replaced by the Livelihood Enhancement and Peace Program. To date, the two programs have helped 16,900 former MNLF earn a living).

Doing Well

Today, BBMWMC owns three big fish pens , each about two hectares. It also operates two stalls at the public market. One stall sells tilapia harvested from the pens. The other stall is a small food counter that turns festive every Saturday, Buluan’s market day. Whenever they can, coop members bring their catch as far as Cagayan de Oro on board a rented fish car.

"Someday, we hope to own a fish car," said Guimaluddin, who is called ustadz, an Arabic term for male teacher by many women in the community.

Right now, BBMWMC owns two boats, which ferry passengers from points in Lake Buluan to the lakeshore town. The boats were donated by the Department of International Development of the United Kingdom

At the center of the lake is a tall wood and bamboo structure that is both the cooperative’s floating restaurant and guard outpost for the fish pens. Here, boat people and fisherfolk take their meals.

"Because our assets have grown tremendously, we can now extend credit to our members. Non-members have also asked for our help but we can’t afford to do that right now. All we can give them is free advice," said BBMWMC vice-president Bambi Bernan, who is now able to send her children to school through the income she earns from the cooperative.

"If you work hard, you will learn to value what you do," said Amalia Jayag-Datukan, LEAP area director for South and Central Mindanao.