Kalinga ‘kalan’ makers go on mass production

TABUK CITY, Kalinga, Mar. 5 (PIA) - - A group of poor families assisted by government has turned earth stoves made from termite mounds their livelihood to sustain their daily needs.

The Kalinga Clay Molders Association (KCMA) composed of meager income earners organized themselves to commercialize the manufacture of the environment-friendly stoves preferred by households because of its practical and economical use.

This kind of stove is molded into different designs. Molders gather termite mounds from termite colonies and grind them to further refine the clay.

Johnny Langnga, KCMA President said during the start of their livelihood project, it was difficult to build a stove since everything is processed manually and their products were prone to cracks.

He said after organizing themselves, their group requested assistance from the Office of the Congressman which was readily approved. The project was tied-up  with the Kalinga-Apayao State College Institute of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship (KASC-IBAE) that further trained KCMA members on innovative design with the use of mechanized grinding.

Langnga said the clay grinder provided by Representative Manuel Agyao sped up their production. During their training, they  produced and  were able to sell 100 units of clay stoves to as far as Manila and 80 are ready for disposal.

Raquel Dulliyao of KASC-IBAE said aside from being “healthier” compared with the traditional tripod stove, the cooking vessel is sootless from the use of the termite mound-made stove; cooking area is clean, secure and safe.

Dulliyao said this clay stove product made of termite mounds won in the Regional Inventors’ Contest cum Exhibit conducted by the Department  of Science and Technology -Cordillera on September 27-29, 2011  at  La Trinidad, Benguet. She said it is also  CAR’s  entry to the July National Inventors’ Contest  under the Creative Research category.

Now on mass production, she said the livelihood project generates employment  and used as example for KASC-IBAE students to learn about product planning, marketing, opportunities and development. **Peter A. Balocnit