Provincial Exec Urges Maripipinhon to Develop Island Town's Nito Handicraft

By Rodrigo S. Victoria, (PIA-Biliran)

Naval, Biliran (29 November 2006) -- In a radio program "Sibya sa Probinsya", a regular radio program every Wednesday at Radyo Natin-Naval sponsored by the provincial government of Biliran, Governor Rogelio J. Espina made an appeal to the local government offcials in the island municipality of Maripipi to do something for the development of the town's nito handicraft.

This came after Governor Espina told a related story about the nito handicraft of the town during the visit of the congressional spouses in one of the provincehood celebrations in the past where Gina De Venecia, wife of House Speaker Joe De Venecia ordered 200 pieces of nito handicraft produced from Maripipi displayed in the booth of the municipality in the Agro-Trade Fair held at the Capitol Compound in the occasion of the Biliran Provincehood celebration.

According to the province's executive, the business opportunity reminded him of the need for the local government officials of the island municipality to really find ways and means to develop and further improve the product which caught the attention of the House Speaker's wife.

The Governor said that the appreciation of the nito handicraft of Maripipi by Ms. De Venecia is a welcome development and a good sign that the native craft made by the people from Maripipi is of good quality compared to products of the same material and something that Maripipinhons can be proud of.

The island municipality of Maripipi is also known for pottery-making where an array of products made of clay like jars, flower pots, bricks and many other decorative products are manufactured in the island.

The province chief executive informed that he is planning of conducting a skills training regarding nito handicraft which participants will come from each barangay in the municipality.

He mentioned that the nito handicraft which originally came from Barangay Agutay of the island town of Maripipi must be learned by other people living in the area.

He planned to have three participants from every barangays of Maripipi to participate in the training on nito handicraft so that the more people who will know about the industry the bigger the production that is expected.

This could pave the way for the people in Maripipi to benefit from what is considered as an alternative product aside from depending much on products made of clay.

The introduction and development of the nito handicraft in Maripipi is one way helping augment their income, Governor Espina said.

Governor Espina also disclosed that the development of nito handicraft in Maripipi would eventually help the economic development in the island municipality but the province of Biliran in general.

It was also learned that the nito handicraft is one of the products endorsed by the municipality to be developed under the One-Town-One-Product (OTOP), a program of the Department of Industry (DTI) which is aimed at improving the product produced by a certain municipality.