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Location: San Fernando, Cebu Visayan Region Type
of business: Grass-root family
led project Products:
Wood
Crafts/Natural wood novelty items |
 People's Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation, Inc.
PREDA Fair Trade Assisted Project
This
is a typical small family-based Fair Trading Project that is assisted by PREDA
because it is such as good example of how Fair trade principles can and are
practiced by small producer groups and a family based economic enterprise. This
project brings fair earnings and good working conditions to the producers it is
an example how Fair Trade principle in practice can benefit people who would
otherwise be exploited and oppressed. It
is the kind of project that we need to assist and develop to deliver just
employment, quality products and a sustainable environment.
It is the positive kind of project what can replace and do away with the
usual sweatshop that exploits and enslaves the producers.
It is also a good project because it employs the parents and no child
labor. The children of the producers are healthy and going to school.
While PREDA always works to organize producers associations and cooperatives these in the Philippine culture and context are difficult to organize and not always successful. The small producer group on the other hand is made up of family, relatives and neighbors who come together to form a "village like " producers group and it does work very successfully. Michael's
Concept is one of those groups and it provides a good livelihood to as many as
eighty families that is an average of 300 people. The
producers are organized among themselves in a pact of understanding that helps
to preserve the integrity and uniqueness of the designs of the products. Unfair
imitations of designs are what cause many to lose jobs.
Bigger tycoon type projects seal the designs of the small producer groups
and mass produce them thus doing away with the labor intensive hand produced
products that keep so many poor people with good jobs.
So the producers understand the need for confidentiality and keeping
secret the new designs that they produce.
They are
made with designs of animals, everyday objects that keep the product attractive
as well as useful. Some products are decorated with delightful miniature hand
paintings. There
are as many as thirty-eight (38) employees in the workshop and they have good
clean working environment earn fair wages. There are out-workers; these are
families who take on production in their own houses where the women have a
chance to earn while still looking after their children.
As many as 42 families benefit in the home based producers.
They are earning on a piece rate which is fair and honest and that is why
enables the project to be strong and sustainable. They
also receive bonus payments they are assisted develop their own production group
by the donation of push drills and grinders, which otherwise they could never
afford. This
project started in 1988 with a small loan from the Government and has grown
since and has withstood the efforts of bigger more wealthy enterprises from
swallowing it up. The group has
maintained their independence and there skills and good business management has
brought modest prosperity and well being. Mrs.
Patlingrato is the product design and quality manager while her husband Michael
is the marketing manager and their daughter is the bookkeeper. Members of the
production group are in charge of production process and women are in charge of
the finishing and packing part of the production. PREDA
is offering assistance in the form of marketing, product design, and management
training and encouraging and supporting Fair trade practice and the
implementation of principles. Souvenir Items
2005 Please
e-mail your feedback and queries |
