THE SAGA of TADECO

by: Carlos R. Munda, Jr.

 

It was just after the war when then President Elpidio Quirino issued a call to all the young men of the Philippines to go to Mindanao and seek their fortune upon its virgin shores. Even then Mindanao was already known as the 'land of promise'- the last bastion of wilderness where adventure-minded Filipino can go and test their mettle against the best, or rather the worst, that Mother Nature can dish out.
 

In answer to this call, thousands of able-bodied men from Pangasinan, Ilocos, Bacolod, Pampanga, Bicol and all the points of Luzon and the Visayas rushed south to try their luck. And though most of them would break when faced with the bleak reality of the wilds of Mindanao, there were also a number of hardy souls who stuck it out, persevered and eventually made a name for themselves.

 

Among those who heeded the call was Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr. Filled with an almost missionary-like zeal to create a better life for himself and his family, he worked himself haggard against a host of difficulties that faced him.

 

“Life during those times was hard. Unlike today when all conveniences of technology are literally at your fingertips, back then we had to be both physically and mentally fit,” says Floirendo.

 

It was an existence that most kids today would find alien. A contradiction of everything they have grown to accept as reality. This being a period just after the Second World War, much of those that we now take for granted were scarce. Electricity, clean water, good roads-- these were stuff of dreams.

 

But despite the trials, or maybe because of them, men like Antonio O. Floirendo became all the stronger. “In a world where the weak are often left behind, I learned to be tough early in life. If I didn't , then I know I wouldn't be able to help all those who depended on me,” he expalins.

 

With this in mind, the young Antonio slowly, but methodically built up his dream. Showing a vision far beyond what other men of like age displayed, he planned each step like a general would plan a campaign. Carefully, marshalling his resources, he plotted his course carefully in order to achieve the maximum effect.

 

His first step was to secure a proclamation from Pres. Quirino, granting him the title to some one thousand hectares of unproductive swampland, which he planned to cultivate into an abaca plantation. But many scoffed at the idea. To them the very thought of even trying to cultivate the marshes of Davao del Norte seemed a task more fitted to Hercules than to a mere mortal. But despite the difficulties and trials, Mr. Floirendo was able to pull it off. And in only a few years after the first tree was felled and the swamps filled, the Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc.- the enterprise that rose out of the murky waters of Panabo- became the largest abaca producer in the world.

 

Though trained as a Mining Engineer, Mr. Floirendo chose to go into agriculture because he saw its vast potentials. “In mining you have to dig for gold. This is not only more difficult, it may also be harmful to the environment if it is not done properly. But in agriculture, in farming, you do not have to dig, the gold comes out of the ground in the form of bananas, or abaca or other plants and fruits.”

 

The year 1965 saw the entry of synthetic nylon ropes into the market signaling the death knell for all large-scale abaca-processing ventures. And while this development was met with panic by some and was ignored by others, Mr. Floirendo was one of the few who met the challenge forthrightly and decisively.

 

Responding to these chances, he shifted his operations to bananas. With the help of foreign capital, Tadeco began phasing out its abacas by 1968. By 1971, the company was already exporting its produce to the Japanese market. From then on, Tadeco has continued to expand, hiring more people from the community and bringing prosperity to the entire region. Soon after, other banana plantations began to sprout----further pushing Davao del Norte into the forefront of the Philippines' foreign exchange revenue efforts.

 

However, unlike in fairy tales where all stories can be lumped under the “ happily ever after” ending, the saga of Antonio O. Floirendo and Tadeco isn't as cut and dried as that. Interspersed with the many years of bounty were periods of hard times. Especially during those early years when the Philippines was just starting to build a reputation as a banana exporter, Tadeco had to struggle. The strict quality control standards set by the buyers entailed numerous adjustments that had to be made.

 

In the end, Tadeco was able to show that, like its founder. It was made of sterner stuff, and that no amount of obstacles could divert it from its path and its destiny. Its survival was a testament to the will of Mr. Floirendo and the dedication of men and women who worked in the company. “ I believe in the saying that when the going gets tough, the tough goes out of his way to help the weak, “ says Mr. Floirendo. “ In this way they both become stronger and together they can outlast any storm.. This is what we have tried to do in Tadeco. This enterprise is not built on individual effort, this is a community effort.”

 

Because of his holistic approach to management, Tadeco became and has remained the leader in the banana industry, with many of its innovations becoming the standard in the industry. Its pioneering efforts stretches far beyond the bounds of productivity, but more importantly in to the realm of social responsibility. Says, Mr. Floirendo, “It was my dream to build a company that will improve the lives of the people. In this, I think I have been quite successful with Tadeco.”

 

For its efforts at improving the lives of its employees and their families, Tadeco has been elevated to the Hall of Fame for its Family Welfare Program, aside from being named one of the top 25 Healthiest Workplaces in the Philippines. One of its flagship community relations projects, the Tadeco Livelihood and Training Center, has also been a consistent winner in the many trade fairs and exhibits it has joined.

 

But more than these, for Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr. the most important accolade comes from the people who work in Tadeco. Entire families who would otherwise have struggled to make a living enjoy a comfortable life in Tadeco.

 

“ Many of the younger workers in Tadeco now are children of those who were with me in the beginning, “says Floirendo. “ It is good to see that they also believe in what we have started, because in th end, all this is for them. And together, we can assure the future of our children, and our children's children.”

 

TADECO Livelihood and Training Center (TLTC)

The TADECO Livelihood and Training Center (TLTC) has been providing livelihood programs for the youth through the TADECO Youth Development Council (TYDC) and for the families of the banana plantation workers since 1989 under the management and initiative of the creative director Ma. Cristina Floirendo-Brias. The Center was primarily established to encourage its members to engage in more productive activities which can help augment their monetary income and to divert the youth from harmful vices particularly drug addiction. They were trained to manufacture handmade native products such scrap books, picture frames, lanterns and other natural paper processed from banana, pineapple or abaca fibers made into stationeries, paper bags, gift-boxes and other environment-friendly novelty items. These products were initially sold in the local market which later became a thriving export business.

Over the years, TLTC has bolstered its manpower strength from only 20 dependents to more than 300 workers including the housing of lumad weavers. With the aim of reviving native artistry and of restoring the customs of Mindanao ethnic tribes, they create products made of 100% indigenous materials like abaca and banana fibers and abaca woven cloth which are produced by Tiboli and Mandaya natives exclusively for TLTC. These products are marketed internationally to as far as Australia, Denmark, England, Germany, Greece, Hongkong, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and USA. Gaining the support of the worldwide market TLTC became a competitive handicraft industry hugely benefiting its labor force and has caught the interest of magazine publications and television shows in the country. 

In further expanding their marketing link with institutional and individual buyers, the livelihood center actively participates in different exhibits such as Manila F.A.M.E International (MFI), Mindanao Trade Exposition (MTE), Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibitions (Cebu X) and Philippine International Furniture Show (PFIS).

It has also garnered numerous recognition and awards from prestigious award-giving bodies. On the year 1996, it has been a GAMA Awardee for Best Product Design, TESDA Kabalikat Awardee last 2002 for its exemplary contribution in the advancement of technical education and training in the country, UNESCO AHPADA Seal of Excellence Awardee (2003) for generating best of handicraft products in Southeast Asia, KATHA Awardee (2004), and Gawad Saka Awardee (2006) for being an outstanding non-food processor in Davao del Norte. 

Hence, by capturing the delight and satisfaction of both local and international purchasers and reputable critics, TLTC is able to live up to its mission of providing its dependents a better living and its involvement to different social-civic activities since year 2000 reinforces its methods of fulfilling such goal. 

It is almost 20 years now that TLTC has been realizing its dream of uplifting lives and promoting social awareness in the preservation of cultures and traditions of the Mindanao ethnic groups.