NIA, DTI joint program on Vetiver Grass

• Source:http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2131462612217/nia-dti-joint-program-on-vetiver-grass
• Saturday, May 7, 2016

(NIA)

QUEZON CITY, May 7 -- A 5-day trainers’ training workshop on production and handicraft making of Vetiver Grass were attended by representatives from different NIA regional offices. The said training workshop was held from 2 May to 6 May 2016 at 5th Flr. IEC Bldg. Convention hall NIA compound.

NIA Deputy Administrator for Engineering and Operations Engr. Erdolfo B. Domingo welcomes all the participants and challenge them in coming up with a training guide that can be helpful to farmers. “This workshop will not only benefit you (participants) but most importantly the farmers and Irrigators Association who will be the recipients of this endeavor” he added. NIA Operations Department Manager Engr. Romeo M. Lopez expresses his gratitude to all the participants who accepted the call to be part of the workshop. He noted that Vetiver Grass has been with NIA years ago, as a slope protection for irrigation structures like canals.

Mr. Renel A. Batralo and Mr. Cesar C. Pasco who are both DTI accredited trainers were the resource speakers during the course of training. The two are both designers and product consultants specializing in handicrafts making thru the use of indigenous materials such as bunot, water lily, buri, nito, tikog, etc. Mr. Pasco told everyone that with proper treatment and process at hand, Vetiver Grass can be a competitive Philippine product locally and internationally.

NIA, as early as 1988, uses Vetiver Grass as a slope protection mechanism because it has the capacity to hold large amount of soil thru its roots which grow deeper up to 5 meters. The use of this grass is included with the Irrigation Operation Support Project (IOSP) of the agency under operations and maintenance (O&M). NIA gives various seedlings of Vetiver Grass to farmers for them to plant it alongside with the irrigation canals to prevent soil erosion.

The problem comes when rats and snakes started to fill the area due to dense and weedy environment which make it suitable for the pests to live. That is why the agency, thru Office of the Irrigation Center, NIA Operations Department, in coordination with DTI Coco Coir National Industry Cluster, came up with this training workshop to resourcefully and efficiently use the Vetiver Grass for an additional income of our farmers.

“Motivate your counterpart, motivate your farmers. I want this training to be a productive one” said Mr. Pasco. The speakers also discuss other uses of the grass like absorbing toxic substance in soil caused by chemical fertilizers, serves as an herb for medical purposes, use as runoff mitigation, and helps in water conservation

Mr. Batralo told the participants to expect on-hands training as they will teach them preparations and processes on how to come up with a good piece using the Vetiver Grass. “Excited ako kasi aside from unleashing our creativity sa paggawa ng handicrafts, malaki rin ang maitutulong nito sa ating mga farmers (additional income) na ang tingin sa Vetiver grass ay walang pakinabang” as one of the participants from Region IV-B stated.

The use of Vetiver Grass will not only serve its primary purpose of preventing soil erosion but also open a new avenue for our farmers to be able to learn the potentials of this grass.