Villar to send 'water lily warriors' to Cotabato City

MANILA, Philippines -  The Las Pinas City government will deploy “water lily warriors” to Cotabato City to help ease flooding in the city by unclogging its river of water hyacinth, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. announced yesterday.

“We want to help Cotabato residents combat the water lily problem, at the same time, provide them with livelihood,” he said.

Villar said the city government in coordination with the Villar Foundation would send its weavers to Cotabato City and teach residents how to utilize water hyacinth as source of livelihood.

Villar said water lilies are excellent materials for producing handbags and other crafts. His wife, former congresswoman Cynthia Villar, heads the Villar Foundation.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the military have sent equipment and personnel to remove water lilies in the Rio de Grande Mindanao.

The heavy concentration of the aquatic plant has been blamed for the massive floods in Cotabato City and nearby areas.

Some residents have resorted to pulling out the water hyacinths with their bare hands to allow the river water flow unimpeded.

Officials said they are studying other ways to stop the accumulation of water lilies downstream.

Las Piñas officials noted that their city had to deal with the same problem five years ago when water lilies thrived along a five-kilometer stretch of the Zapote River.

According to Vangie Dalosa, project coordinator of the Water Lily weaving center in Las Piñas, the residents along the Zapote River were taught how to harvest and dry water lily stalks and sell them for 25 centavos.

“The people living along river bank began earning money (and) at the same time clearing the water ways,” Dalosa said.

The problem now is where to get the raw materials to sustain the production of water lily handicraft products.

Dalosa said that at present, at least 100 weavers are earning an average of P300 daily. Their products are exported to Japan and other countries in Asia and Europe.

Dalosa said they would also send weavers to Davao City and other parts of the country to train people in water lily handicraft production.

“Among the successful projects is the water lily weaving in Nueva Ecija which is now exporting their products,” Dalosa said.