Women
Banana bread, coconut buns and Spanish-style filled rolls are providing a cooperative of women bakers on the island of
Mindanao in the Philippines with the promise of a more secure future, thanks to support from the UN Development
Programme, (UNDP).
The Balaigay Women Producer Cooperative is made up of local women from the fishing village of Lumbayanague as well as
women who were displaced from Marawi, a nearby city, following an attack by Islamist militants in 2017.
Ahead of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, which is marked annually on 27 June, UN News spoke to Beliante
Matanog Cayongat, a long-term resident of Lumbayanague, and Nobaida Arig, who arrived following the terrorist attack,
about the recipe for their success.
Nobaida Arig: I work one shift a week in the bakery, arriving at 4:30 in the morning and baking for two hours. We have six main
products: banana muffins, Spanish rolls and coconut breads as well as chocolate cake, banana loaf and a standard white
loaf.
I am one of 20 people in the cooperative who fled Marawi when it was attacked in 2017.
Beliante Matanog Cayongat: The cooperative runs the only bakery in the neighbourhood, and normally all our bread and pastries sell out early in
the afternoon.
We make 2 kg of each product. In Ramadan, our large loaves were very popular and we sold out even though we made 60 a
day. The large loaves cost 40 pesos ($0.70) each, and because this is a very close community, if people are unable to
pay, we allow them to settle their bill later.
Nobaida Arig: We are a successful bakery because our breads, cakes and pastries are delicious and affordable. When you love your
work, you bake delicious foods.
I did not know how to bake before we opened this bakery. We were trained and given materials, including an oven, to put
our training into practice. I am getting better as a baker with the hands-on experience.
Marawi City in Mindanao was attacked by Islamist militants in 2017.© UNODC/Laura Gill Marawi City in Mindanao was
attacked by Islamist militants in 2017.
I can learn 200 pesos ($3.40) on my shift, which is good, but not enough to support my family of six. I also run a small
shop selling snacks and goods.
Beliante Matanog Cayongat: On a slow day, the bakery can make 1,500 pesos ($25.50), but when we are very busy with orders, we can earn 2,500
pesos ($42.50) a day. After paying salaries, the remainder is put back into the cooperative.
Nobaida Arig: Baking is actually quite easy if you follow the recipe, and I am always looking for new ideas. I’m so excited about
baking that I watched a video on YouTube at home, which taught me how to make pizza with pineapple, mushroom and tuna.
We baked a special order of pizzas for Ramadan. I am very happy and proud that my pizza was so popular and contributed
to the community.
Beliante Matanog Cayongat: During the Marawi siege in 2017, which lasted five months, we welcomed about 100 people into our community who had fled
their homes in the city. Many had family connections, including Nobaida, whose husband fishes out of this village.
A cooperative member prepares a cake recipe.UN News/Daniel Dickinson A cooperative member prepares a cake recipe.
Nobaida Arig: When Marawi was attacked, we heard gunshots and I thought it was a family feud, which we are quite used to. But after
two days when the school was burned down, we realised it was something more serious, and we decided to flee. We had
absolutely nothing with us.
There were many men dressed in black, carrying guns and flying the Islamic State [ISIL/Da'esh] flag in the city, but
they let us pass, and we left for the village. It was a big surprise and unthinkable that Marawi would be attacked in
this way.
Beliante Matanog Cayongat: We want to build a bigger bakery and sell our products further afield. But, we also want to diversify and provide more
employment for women living here.
We would like to offer tailoring and office services, so we really need computers and a good internet connection. Women
here want peace and prosperity and a better future for their children, and we are making a big effort to realise these
hopes.FACT BOX
The Balaigay Women Producer Cooperative is supported by UNDP’s Enhancing Food Security and Livelihood in Bangsamoro
(FSL) project. The project, which aims to support and sustain peacebuilding and recovery, was funded by the Government
of Japan, a longstanding partner for peace in the Bangsamoro region. The project was implemented with several
institutional partners, including the Maranao People Development Center, Inc., to empower communities through enterprise
development. This initiative aims to foster sustainable livelihoods and create a solid foundation for lasting peace in
the Bangsamoro