Conclusion
In Sasmuan, women like Edna Bilacog and Rose Ann Tungol find work at a Materials Recovery Facility, sorting household waste. Their pay, about P175 a day (US$4), is well below the local minimum wage. “What we earn barely meets our needs,” they admit, but their work helps sustain their families.
Net gain
Others, like Maricar Guevarra, have relied on traditional crafts. A skilled weaver for over 20 years, she earns about $4 per repaired net and $13 for a large one known as a panti, which takes four days to complete.
“This has been my main source of income, especially when my husband fell ill,” she said. To make ends meet, she also does laundry and sells home-cooked meals.
Women also lead the crab trade, detangling crustaceans from nets and preparing them for market, though unsustainable aquaculture from nearby fishponds threatens their livelihood. In response, many have diversified. During the off-season, they work as helpers, laborers, or store employees in nearby towns.
In the village of Batang 2nd, a women’s group turns sea purslane, a wild riverbank weed, into atchara (pickled salad), while on the mainland, Patricia Culala has built a business around crab paste.
“The fat from the crab is the tastiest part—that’s what I preserve and sell in bottles,” she explained. “Through this business, I was able to send my children to school.”
The women of Sasmuan are both resilient and innovative. But without sustainable solutions, their future remains uncertain. Fair wages, community-led conservation, and responsible river management are essential to preserving the wetlands, and the lives they nourish. UN News
