COWHED: Lake Sebu Pasalubong Center

Part 10 of a series.

DAY 2.
After a very fulfilling boat tour of Lake Sebu, Eric and I then proceeded to COWHED. COWHED is just a few meters away from where we were staying, Punta Isla Lake Resort, but if you’re staying somewhere else, the local habal-habal drivers should know very well where it is located.

Flowers abound in Lake Sebu.

When I first heard about COWHED from Kuya Avel (he was the one who suggested the place as a must-visit in Lake Sebu), I thought that we’d be seeing a “cow head” but then it turns out that COWHED is actually an acronym which stands for: Cooperative of Women in Health in Development.

View of Lake Sebu from COWHED

COWHED was registered with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) as a multi-purpose cooperative on March 21, 1995. The cooperative was organized by the health project (Tribal Women’s Health Project) of Sta. Cruz Mission on that same year. Members of the cooperative are all women composed of T’Boli producers and development workers.

The COWHED Center was designed like a Gono Kem Bo-I, or T’Boli Princess House.

Before it became a cooperative, it evolved from the initiative of a few tribal women. It was facilitated by the staff organizer of the project to be formed as an association called T’Boli Association of Crafts Makers (TACMA) in 1994. This was organized to respond to the needs of the livelihood program. It aimed to develop the skills of the women by providing them with a small start up capital to earn an income. Hence, the idea of an association came about to market their products. This however did not succeed and the women thought of asking the development staff to join in forming one group and thus the cooperative was born.

When you’re lucky enough, you can catch the T’Boli women weaving T’nalak cloth at the COWHED center!

Break time from weaving. Spot a kid sleeping!

Among the products that are available in COWHED are T’nalak finished products, fashion accessories made of beads and indigenous materials, hand-woven scarves, “malong” and “tubaw”, embroidered garments, vests and decorations, bamboo musical instruments and other functional items, hand-carved softwood for decorations, gift, and token, brass figurines, and a lot more.

Some of the products being sold at COWHED.

Basically, COWHED is like the “pasalubong” center for tourists visiting Lake Sebu. You should not leave the place without a visit to COWHED. As for myself, I bought some interesting keychains and rosaries for mom and the kids.

(…to be continued)