Sampaguita livelihoods of peri-urban Metro Manila, Philippines: key actors, activities, benefits and constraints

Constancio C. de Guzman1

The sampaguita [Jasminum sambac (L.) Ait] livelihood system in the municipality of San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines, is anchored primarily on the production of flowers and their preparation into garlands. The entire livelihood system involves eight key players: the farmer, the flower picker, the supplier, the vendor, the abaca fiber cleaner, the garland-making contractor, the garland maker and the garland seller. This sampaguita livelihood is an example of a viable peri-urban enterprise that links growers in rural areas to the marketing of garlands in adjacent urban Metro Manila. Aside from providing income and various types of employment to a large number of workers, the sampaguita agribusiness also offers several sociocultural benefits not only to its major actors but also to the community as a whole. Several problems related to production, post-production and socio-economics beset sampaguita livelihood. R&D agenda in support of the sampaguita livelihood system is proposed.

n the Philippines, the sampaguita flower, derived from the shrub Jasminum sambac (L.) Ait, was accorded the honor of being named the countrys national flower in 1934 (Rayoc 1968). The white, dainty flowers with soothing fresh scent are primarily strung together into garlands, which find their way as religious adornments in churches and homes, as decorative ornaments in wedding ceremonies and vigils for the beloved dead, welcome offerings to strangers and visitors, as well as tokens of appreciation and accomplishment for new graduates. The smallness and simplicity of these fragrant flowers actually belie the magnitude of dependence of so many people, mostly from the low-income bracket group, on this ornament as an important source of livelihood. From the sampaguita farmers to the garland makers, to the ubiquitous street children selling sampaguita garlands in Metro Manila, we see the often unrecognized contribution of the sampaguita industry to the economic well-being of its beneficiaries. As a valuable source of agricultural livelihood, very little is known about the sampaguita garland making enterprise. As an agricultural crop, not much research has been done on the sampaguita, reflecting its low priority for funding by research institutions. This paper discusses the results of an assessment of the sampaguita livelihood system in the municipality of San Pedro, Laguna in the Philippines. The collaborative project involved the University of the Philippines Los Baos, UPWARD and the CGIAR Systemwide Initiative on Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (SIUPA).

Department of Horticulture, University of the Philippines Los Baos, Philippines.

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The main study site is the town of San Pedro, Laguna, where a thriving cottage industry of sampaguita garland-making exists (Figure1). It is about 29 km from Manila via the South Luzon Superhighway and 61 km from the town of Sta. Cruz, the provincial capital of Laguna. San Pedro serves as the strategic gateway of Laguna from Metro Manila to the Industrial Estate CALABARZON. Classified as a first class municipality, it has a total land area of about 2,260 ha, 62 percent of which consists of built-up areas. Only 7 percent is devoted to agriculture, reflecting the rapid urban development of the municipality. The study was undertaken last May 2001 primarily to evaluate the sampaguita agro-enterprise in San Pedro. The following villages in San Pedro were the focus areas: Nueva, San Vicente and Magsaysay. The trading center for sampaguita and other flower ornaments is located in Nueva, while a number of households involved in garland making could be found in San Vicente and Magsaysay. Some of the sampaguita farms are located in San Vicente.

PAMPANGA BULACAN

BATAAN

METRO MANILA

RIZAL

CAVITE LAGUNA BATANGAS A QUEZON

LEGEND
Farmer Flower picker Vendor Garland maker Garland seller Garland-making contractor Supplier Fiber cleaner

SAN PEDRO

Nueva San Vicente

Magsaysay

Figure 1. Map of San Pedro, Laguna showing at top, its location relative to Metro Manila and others provinces in Luzon and bottom, the specific villages surveyed in the study.

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Features of the various sampaguita livelihood activities were determined from secondary data, survey, and actual field visits and interviews with key informants. Information on the municipality were obtained from the Offices of the Municipal Planning and Development Council (MPDC) and the Municipal Agriculturist. A total of 56 key players involved in the sampaguita agribusiness were interviewed: 10 farmers, 5 flower pickers, 8 suppliers, 5 abaca fiber cleaners, 7 dealers/vendors, 6 garlandmaking contractors, 6 garland makers and 9 garland sellers. The survey and interviews led to a profile of the sampaguita livelihood system. The sampaguita livelihood system as a peri-urban enterprise The sampaguita livelihood system in San Pedro retains much of its peri-urban agriculture flavor. The town serves as the point of convergence linking farming activity in rural areas to the marketing of garlands in highly urbanized centers. Part of the material and human resources, as well as inputs and services for the livelihood are still derived from adjacent and remote rural economies. On the other hand, the marketing of garlands takes place in adjacent Metro Manila. In this sense, the sampaguita livelihood can be described as still partially integrated to the urban economic and ecological system referred to as eco-system by Mougeot (1999). Features of the sampaguita livelihood system in San Pedro Product The garland is the major product of the sampaguita enterprise in San Pedro (Figure 2). The unopened blossoms from the evergreen shrub are strung together into garlands. Each garland is adorned with a pendant from a single blossom of any of the following flowers: ilang-ilang (Cananga odorata Lamk) Hook. f. & Thomson; camia ( Hedichyum coronarium Koenig), or champaca (the golden or orange variety, Michelia champaca L. or the white variety, Michelia xalba DC.). The string is derived from the fiber of abaca or Manila hemp (Musa textilis Nee). Key actors and component activities. The sampaguita enterprise in San Pedro consists of four major livelihood component activities: a) flower production, b) trading and selling of loose flowers, c) garland making, and d) garland selling. The major actors involved are the a) farmer, b) flower picker, c) supplier/trader, d) vendor, e) fiber cleaner, f) garlandmaking contractor, g) garland maker, and h) garland peddler. Sampaguita farmer. The sampaguita livelihood system in San Pedro begins with the farmer. The entire process of sampaguita garland making depends heavily upon the output of this primary producer. About 25 percent of sampaguita growers in San Pedro cultivate an area
Figure 2. Sampaguita garlands with (from left to right) camia , ilang-ilang , white champaca and golden champaca as hanging ornament.

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of 5000 m2 or more, with the largest area being 1.5 ha; the rest produce sampaguita in their backyards. The total land area devoted to sampaguita in San Pedro is estimated at around 7.5 ha. In recent years, San Pedro has maintained itself as center for garland making; however, sampaguita production has shifted to other per-urban and rural communities. Sampaguita buds are not only sourced from San Pedro. Flowers produced by farmers from the neighboring towns of Cabuyao,Calamba, Calauan, Pila, Sta. Cruz, and Victoria in Laguna; Carmona in Cavite; Atimonan and Lucena in Quezon, and Lubao and Floridablanca in Pampanga, are brought regularly to San Pedro. Flower picker. An important worker in the sampaguita farm is the flower picker, who is hired by the farmer. The flower pickers, usually children, go to the farm early in the morning, with a plastic container tied around the waist for the harvest of the day. Sampaguita flowers throughout the year, with a peak season during the months of March, April, May and June. The flowers used for garland making are harvested everyday at the immature unopened stage when they are already whitish in color. Supplier/trader. Aside from sampaguita, the basic raw materials needed for garland making include abaca fibers and any of the following flowers as hanging ornament: ilang-ilang, camia or champaca. Suppliers usually carry sampaguita and one or two of the other raw materials. They link the farmer from remote provinces to the sampaguita market center in San Pedro. Majority of suppliers interviewed in the study deliver their produce using public means of transportation; the supplier from Pampanga uses his own vehicle. Suppliers generally grow sampaguita, but they also collect and buy flowers from neighboring farms in their respective municipalities. Vendor. Suppliers usually channel their products to one or two vendors or dealers in San Pedro. These vendors expedite the entry of the suppliers raw materials into the San Pedro market. They also eliminate the hassle for the supplier to deal with several sampaguita buyers, who often cannot pay the suppliers cash upon delivery. Most of the sampaguita vendors occupy the market store located on Garcia Street in the village of Nueva. Fiber cleaner. Most of the vendors hire abaca fiber cleaners, locally called tagalinis. Basically, their job is to cut the abaca fibers into the required garland length, meticulously separate the fibers into individual strands and bunch them together into one tali or bundle. Garland-making contractor. The garland-making contractor (nagpapatuhog) buys all the raw materials needed for making sampaguita garlands and hires garland makers. The contractor then delivers the garlands to different parts of Metro Manila, particularly those near major churches such as Baclaran and Quiapo. Delivery is normally done everyday. Some, however, find it more profitable to transport the garlands every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday to take advantage of the big number of churchgoers during this period. Wednesdays and Fridays are novena days for the devotees of the Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran Church and the Black Nazarene in Quiapo Church, respectively.

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Garland maker. The garland makers (tagatuhog) string together the sampaguita buds to form garlands or leis. Garlands are classified according to the number of floral buds per abaca string: de dos for 2 buds, de cuatro for 4, de dies for 10, and so on. Garland peddler. Almost all of the garlands produced in San Pedro are brought to Metro Manila by the contractor, who distributes them to garland peddlers. The garland peddler, therefore, serves as the final link of the sampaguita farmer to the consumer. Number of key players The estimated number of key players in the sampaguita livelihood system based in San Pedro is presented in Table 1. The largest group consists of the garland makers, who are found mostly in the villages of Nueva, San Vicente and Magsaysay. Next are the flower pickers. Farmers reported hiring from 5 to 25 flower pickers depending upon the season. The fewest participants are the fiber cleaners. On the other hand, garland sellers, who are actually based in Metro Manila, are believed to number by the thousands. Volume and type of raw materials traded The estimated volume and type of raw materials traded in San Pedro are shown in Table 2. Data reveal that up to 2.8 million sampaguita flowers are traded everyday. It also appears that camia is the most preferred pendant flower. Flowers are usually placed in plastic bags. Each bag of sampaguita contains about 1000 floral buds. A bag of ilang-ilang or champaca, on the other hand, has about 100 flowers. The plastic bags are subsequently stored in large styrofoam boxes with chunks of ice. Due to their durability, abaca fibers are traded less frequently. The fibers come from Oriental Mindoro, Bicol and Davao. Most of the supply of ilang-ilang and champaca come from San Pedro, while camia is sourced all the way from Pampanga.
Table 1. Estimated number of key players in the sampaguita livelihood system in San Pedro, Laguna, 2002.
Key Players Farmer Flower picker Supplier Fiber cleaner Vendor Garland-making contractor Garland maker Garland seller Number 20 65 30 5 21 10 > 3000 -

Table 2. Volume of sampaguita and other raw materials delivered to San Pedro, Laguna, 2002.
Raw material Sampaguita Ilang-ilang Champaca Camia Abaca fiber
a

Volume/day a 2,800 cans 55,000 pcs 19,000 pcs 240,000 pcs 1,600 kg/month

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Benefits derived from the sampaguita enterprise The various livelihood activities revolving around sampaguita garland making in San Pedro has provided benefits, including: Employment and income generation Table 3 shows the net annual income derived by the important actors in the sampaguita livelihood in San Pedro. The highest income earners are the garland-making contractor and the sampaguita farmer, each earning more than P230,0003 yearly. The lowest wage earner in the group is the fiber cleaner. The last three wage levels are still above the P12,000 annual income that an average Filipino should earn to meet his or her food and non-food requirements, but are clearly way below the poverty threshold of P72,000 set by the national government for a family of six (Sarmiento 2001). Still, no matter how minimal, these amounts help the poor meet part of their basic household needs. Socio-cultural benefits As important as the monetary returns are some social and cultural benefits derived by the household and the community from the sampaguita enterprise. Making the youth productive. The sampaguita livelihood is generally perceived as a way of keeping the lid on juvenile delinquency. Sampaguita flower picking, garland making and garland selling are relatively uncomplicated activities that the youth can engage in. These activities, aside from providing additional income, keep them busy for most of the day. Women empowerment. This is exemplified by several of the women garland-making contractors interviewed. When some of them became widowed at an early age, they saw the opportunity to feed and provide for the needs of their children through this type of work. More importantly, this has provided them with a feeling of selfTable 3. Net income of the case respondents in the sampaguita livelihood system in SanPedro, Laguna, 2002. Average Monthly Income During Annual a b Players Income (P) Lean Season (P) Peak Season (P) c Farmer 38,040 10,830 238,000 Flower Picker 3,600 1,620 27,360 Supplier 30,510 6,000 170,040 Fiber Cleaner 1,710 900 14,040 Vendor/Dealer 25,200 8,250 166,800 Garland-Making contractor 44,700 12,200 274,800 Garland Maker 3,446 1,776 27,991 Garland Seller 12,000 5,362 90,900
a b c

Peak season: March, April, May June Lean season: July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February for a 4,250-m2 area

P50 = US$1 (Approximately)

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confidence to accomplish their simple aspirations in life. Promotion of loyalty and trust. The sampaguita livelihood also brings out a sense of loyalty and mutual trust among its key actors, particularly between the suppliers and vendors of loose flowers. This trust has been indubitably forged by sustained years of productive and profitable business dealings. In fact, a sampaguita trading store is also in place in Kamachile, Balintawak, Quezon City, but suppliers from Pampanga continue to transport the bulk of their produce much farther south to the trading center in San Pedro. Suppliers said some of the sampaguita dealers in Kamachile had openly cheated traders in payments for their deliveries in the past. This only shows that although profit is the underlying factor that makes an enterprise viable, the intangibles make it sustainable. Loyalty, friendship, honesty and trust ultimately provide the oil in the business machinery that makes the whole system move and function smoothly. Sense of tradition. Garland making is not only viewed as an individual interest to derive income. It is also a community tradition to be pursued, a custom handed down from one generation to another. A garland-making contractor was taught the rudiments of garland-making by her parents when she was still a child, and she has passed on the art and skill to her children and grandchildren whom she now employs as garland makers. Indeed, the matching of the skills that the garland makers have acquired through the years with the opportunities the sampaguita business continues to offer has made San Pedro famous for this unique system of livelihood. Problems and constraints in the sampaguita livelihood system Just like any other agribusiness venture, the sampaguita livelihood is also beset with several problems. The various constraints specific to the key players of the system are shown in Table 4. The problems can be generally categorized into three: production, post-production and socio-economics. A primary concern is the reduction in the yield of sampaguita. This can be attributed to old age of sampaguita plants, rotting of floral buds with sudden changes in weather, and extensive pest damage. Another problem
Table 4. Problems/constraints encountered by the case respondents of the sampaguita livelihood system, 2002. Key Players Problems/Constraints Farmer Extensive insect infestation Wilting of flowers with sudden change of weather Low price of flowers during peak season Old sampaguita plants Flower picker Skin allergy Supplier Price fluctuation Competition with other suppliers Nonpayment of loans by customers Lack better methods of storing flowers Fiber cleaner Hand injury Vendor Nonpayment of loans by customers Lack better methods of storing flowers Garland-making contractor Lack of capital Competition on supply Garland maker Hand injury Skin allergy Garland seller Skin allergy Competition with other sellers
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identified by the key players is related to the perishability of sampaguita flowers. Under current storage techniques, flowers last about 3 days. Socio-economic factors identified as constraints in the sampaguita enterprise include: price fluctuation, competition with other suppliers, and garland sellers, lack of capital for garlandmaking contractors and non-payment of loans by customers as experienced by suppliers and vendors. Moreover, sampaguita livelihood in San Pedro is threatened by rapid urbanization in the municipality, where competition for non-agricultural land use is very keen. The projected increase in population (from 218,442 in 1999 to 323,700 by 2010) will engender a corresponding demand for residential, commercial and industrial land uses which is estimated to be about 1990 ha (CLUP-ZO 2000). Agricultural areas, at about 153 ha at the moment, will eventually be converted to meet the requirement. A proposed land reclamation project along the coastal vicinities of San Pedro is proposed to fill the rest. Aggravating this dilemma is the perception that local officials do not appear to be keen in promoting the sampaguita industry. If the land conversion plan pushes through, sampaguita-growing in San Pedro will be completely lost 10 years from now. At the moment, the farming component of the livelihood system is the only one that is being slowly eased out by urbanization. Loose flower trading and garland making still remain intact within the community. Among the problems identified, the most pressing is the susceptibility of sampaguita to insect attack. If left unchecked, there could be no harvest at all. In coping, farmers use chemical pesticides extensively. The potential danger of the chemical pesticides is not only faced by the farmer. Some flower pickers, garland makers, and sellers have complained of skin allergies in handling sampaguita floral buds and suspect that this was due to pesticide residues in the flowers. Research and development agenda in support of the sampaguita livelihood system The current project brings to light a number of research and development opportunities that can be undertaken to support the sampaguita enterprise in San Pedro (Table 5). Foremost is the development of an integrated pest management (IPM) scheme to reduce, if not eliminate, the excessive use of pesticides in sampaguita. A replanting protocol needs to be established to rejuvenate existing old plantings without drastically reducing farm harvest. There is virtually no local research report on the floral biology of sampaguita in relation to flowering and pollination behavior. Information derived from this type of work can be used for breeding experiments to come up with new varieties that will have flowers of varied colors and that are more resistant to insect pests and diseases. Determination of the nutrient requirements of sampaguita to enhance yield and quality also needs to be done. The use of organic manure as nutrient source can also be investigated. The problem of flower bud deterioration with sudden shifts in weather conditions can probably be addressed through protected cultivation. In post-production, alternative storage techniques to prolong the shelflife of floral buds should be developed. This aspect will need basic information related to

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Table 5. R&D agenda for the sampaguita livelihood system in San Pedro, Laguna, 2002.
Aspect of the System Production R and D Agenda Formulation of an integrated pest management (IPM) scheme Appropriate rejuvination system Breeding of new varieties Assessment of fertilizer requirement Protected cultivation Alternative post-harvest storage techniques Development of other uses for flowers In-depth supply and demand analysis

Post-production Marketing

the regulation of the opening and senescence of floral buds. Other uses for sampaguita flowers can also be developed to address the problem of flower wastage during a supply glut. The commercial feasibility of extracting essential oils can be explored. In marketing, an in-depth analysis of the supply and demand for sampaguita should also be considered. Finally, to circumvent the possible demise of sampaguita farming in San Pedro in the near future, local administrators and policy makers should be made aware of the significance and impact of the sampaguita livelihood to its household constituents and to the community as a whole. Concerned groups should advocate for the inclusion of agriculture as an important and critical component of urban development. In particular, the sampaguita livelihood in San Pedro can be promoted as an agro-tourism venture and as a showcase of a thriving peri-urban agricultural venture. Summary and conclusions The study on the sampaguita livelihood system in San Pedro, Laguna provided the following interesting insights:

Eight major actors were involved in the sampaguita livelihood system: the farmer, flower picker, supplier, vendor, abaca fiber cleaner, garland-making contractor, garland maker and garland peddler. The garland-making activity in peri-urban San Pedro serves as the focal point linking rural economies to urban centers. Flowers produced in rural farms are brought, traded and transformed into garlands in the municipality. The garlands are subsequently sold in adjacent Metro Manila. The sampaguita livelihood is a viable peri-urban enterprise. It does not only provide employment and income, but also offers significant non-monetary benefits to a considerable number of people. The sampaguita livelihood system is beset with problems in crop production, post-production and economics, and would need the help of research and academic institutions to find solutions to most of them. The local government must play an active role in the livelihood system particularly in matters related to judicious land conversion. Development of policies relevant to agriculture in urban areas is needed.
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References Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance (CLUP-ZO). 2000. Office of the Municipal Planning and Development Council, San Pedro, Laguna. Mougeot, L.J.A. 1999. Urban agriculture: definition, presence, potential and risks, main policy challenges. Cities Feeding People. CFP Report Series. Report 31. 37 pp. Rayos, J.A. 1968. Our national flower. Philippine Farms and Gardens. August issue. p. 37. Sarmiento, J.V. Jr. 2001. 15 M Filipinos start day with no breakfast. Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 26, 2001. pp A1, A12.

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