The native handicrafts produced by the B’Laan and Manobo tribes in Jose Abad Santos (JAS) town in Davao Occidental, is seen to be a growing industry in the municipality.
JAS Mayor Jason John Joyce took pride of the tribes’ handicraft produce such as baskets made of nito plant and wooden furniture products made of drift woods.
“The nice wooden products are made of drift woods, assembled by our indigenous people to make wonderful furniture,” Joyce said in today’s episode of the Laging Handa Network Briefing with Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.
The mayor asked the Secretary’s assistance in promoting the native handicrafts to gain domestic and international markets.
Having fishing and agriculture as the main industries of the municipality, Joyce also bragged about their abundant aquatic resources which include first-class fishes like tuna, malasugue (blue marlin), tanguige as well as lobster.
For the agriculture industry, he said that JAS and the other municipalities of Davao Occidental lead the copra production in Davao Region. “All our 26 barangays are planted with coconuts. We also have corn and abaca.”
Being a coastal and rural town, JAS also offers many beautiful destinations for tourism, such as black and white sand beaches, waterfalls and rock formations.
Another tourist attractions are the “parola” or lighthouse and the 42-feet Christ the Redeemer structure which can be seen at the Joyce Paradise owned by the mayor’s family.
Joyce said the brown-colored Christ the Redeemer symbolizes the rich indigenous people’s culture in Jose Abad Santos.
“We have abundant blessings from the sea and mountains. So, our tagline for tourism is Reefs to Ridges,” he stated, adding that they are still developing other tourist attractions while the town is still on lockdown.
JAS is located at the southernmost tip of the Philippines, at the mainland of Mindanao, which can only be reached through private vehicles as of present.
The municipality is a coastal area which has a stretch of 70 kilometers, and 90% of the population comprised of indigenous peoples from the Manobo and B’laan tribes. (PIA-XI/Carina L. Cayon)
