Facemasks for Conservation
- Feb 28, 2022
- 1 min read
Twelve women of the Bagobo Tagabawa community in Barangay Sibulan, Toril, Davao City learned how to sew facemasks to earn additional income for their families.
From hand sewing the Rufous hornbill plush toys to reusable facemasks, the Bagobo Tagabawa of Sibulan are adapting to the disruptive effect of the pandemic on their livelihood. They trained in sewing facemasks as a source of income that is COVID-adaptive.
Through the support of the Whiteheads Ark Project, they received materials to start the enterprise “Facemasks for Conservation.” Last December 16-17, 2021, we visited the community with a trainer from Tesda – Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to teach the basics of sewing facemasks.
The community shifted to producing reusable cloth facemasks because they also want to help reduce waste. They started selling within their local community and campaigned for waste reduction and management. Their enterprise helped improve their income while their husbands and other family members continue to participate in forest guarding activities as members of the “Bantay Bukid.”
The Bagobo Tagabawa of Sibulan is our longtime conservation partner in securing the oldest nesting site within the Mt. Apo Natural Park.
It’s really eye-opening to see how something as ubiquitous as a disposable face mask can become such a direct threat to wildlife like the Philippine Eagle. I hadn’t fully considered the "stealthy" nature of plastic pollution until reading about how these masks entangle animals or are mistaken for food. It makes the Foundation’s push for reusable cloth masks feel like such a practical, necessary shift for conservation. I actually found myself thinking about this during a recent late-night research session for a New Assignment Help in Australia project, realizing how often we overlook the long-term environmental footprint of our daily habits. It’s a bit daunting to think about the sheer volume of waste generated since 2020, but seeing localized efforts…