IX. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
9.8 Selling of wild pig meat
9.8.1 Traders
The supply chain has three main actors: the supplier, intermediary, and consumer (Figure 8). Suppliers of wild pig meat in CNCH are the IPs (Batak and Tagbanua), who hunt for consumption, ritual, and also to sell; and the non-IPs (diwan/outsiders) from the barangay or different barangay or municipality e.g. Roxas and Aborlan, who hunt to sell. Connecting the suppliers or hunters to consumers are the intermediaries, who are the following: (1) the IP hunter is an IP barterer or facilitator who links up with a non-IP wholesaler; and (2) the non-IP hunter is an IP transporter who then connects to a non-IP wholesaler and/or retailer. This supply chain reveals that not all the wild pig meat sold by an IP is from the wild pig he caught himself.
Figure 8
Supply chain of the wild pig meat selling in CNCH
SUPPLIER INTERMEDIARY CONSUMER
IP hunter
(regular/seasonal)
For consumption
(household and community)
Wholesaler
Consumer
Non-IP (diwan) hunter(barangay
or municipality)
Transporter Retailer IP facilitator
IP barterer
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As observed by one respondent in the case of Manggapin, the Batak and Tagbanua rarely sell wild pig meat, it is mostly the diwan. In 2020, one respondent made two deliveries of meat that a diwan asked him to deliver to a buyer. A different transaction however occurred in 2021 when another respondent who never sold meat from the wild pigs he caught when he was still hunting, tried selling meat to a buyer he sourced from an IP hunter.
In Tagnaya, many of the Batak and Tagbanua know how to hunt wild pig.
Respondents said it is however the Tagbanua who hunt and sell more. The two respondents in Tagnaya who happened to be Batak however also sell wild pig meat.
One respondent explained that he only decides to sell after assessing if the wild pig he caught, depending on its size, can be sold. This means, he is hunting but only thinks later about selling it. He however revealed that hunting and selling are also done by the diwan, who are doing more hunting using toka-toka. One of the respondents is a seasonal hunter, who also sells sometimes if he catches one.
While the tribal chieftain reports no one enters Tagnaya to hunt, there are outsiders or diwan who find ways to access their upper interior to hunt through Tarabanan. This is similar to Kalakwasan because the leaders claimed that no outsiders enter through Kalakwasan to hunt. Only a few of the Batak in Kalakwasan admitted to engaging in hunting and only one respondent admitted that he had a piece of meat from a family member who caught a wild pig and bartered it with some rice as food for his children and grandchildren.
Respondents have different attitudes on the wild pig hunting and meat selling activities of the Batak and Tagbanua. For instance, despite knowing that a certain IP in Tagnaya hunts and sells more regularly than others and that this is becoming his source of regular income, the respondent is not worried because according to him
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there is no abuse. After all, the hunter only catches those which are old and big and sells them. The respondent however is unsure about Kyudalan on this matter.
Another respondent in Tagnaya wanted to remind the Batak and Tagbanua to make wild pig hunting less frequent. He however decided to keep silent about this to avoid making the situation uncomfortable and leave the matter to their leader to handle. One respondent who patrols in the area also mentioned that he does not only remind the diwan, but also the Batak and Tagbanua who hunt. That is why he believes wild pig hunting is now less with the IPs in Tagnaya.
In Manggapin area, some outsiders who hunt are dayo from Barangay Magara in Roxas. They hunt wild pig using toka-toka and sell the meat. In both Tagnaya and Manggapin, other hunters are from the municipality of Aborlan and are married to Tagbanua in Tarabanan (in Concepcion) and Langogan.
9.8.2 Reasons for selling wild pig meat
A respondent in Kalakwasan reasoned that selling wild pig meat is not of their own doing. He explained that it is not their plan to sell any products from the forest.
Different government agencies and lowlanders arrived and wanted their forest products. Honey for example is something they eat similar to wild pig. They do not sell it before. However, when people from the city later came to the area, they wanted to taste it also. It has become their habit and started looking for it. The Batak will not sell voluntarily without talking to anyone according to him. Restaurant owners asked and looked for wild pig meat from them, so whenever they catch one, they bring it to them. These products were exchanged with money or rice, and over time, it has become their practice.
This exposure of the Batak to government agencies and lowlanders, to trading, and eating rice which was not traditionally part of their food diet, paved the way for the
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Batak to learn about activities or practices which are not part of their original culture.
As pointed out by one respondent in Kalakwasan, when lowlanders wanted to get a taste of their products, the IPs were gradually introduced to selling. The IPs realized that it was helpful to them - not only they can earn from selling almaciga resin, but also with honey and the meat of the wild pig.
Another respondent in Kalakwasan observed that their current situation is a result of the government organizing the Batak. They noticed that the Batak before were different compared to the Batak now. With the government came the policies that started to govern their activities. R , The Batak used to be free, with food to eat such as honey or wild pig or flying squirrel, and practice kaingin.
One respondent further shared that when honey was first sold at Php15.00 per gallon, the lowlanders claimed it is a good vitamin for children. When it was proved to be true, the selling continued, and the demand increased as well as the price. Subsequently, the government restricted the selling. However, they found a way to regulate it by requiring documents.
All Batak respondents are not considering making wild pig hunting their livelihood because most of them understand that it is illegal. Respondents admitted that the Batak only sell wild pig meat because they are in such a difficult situation and that it cannot be considered a business because it is not a daily and permanent activity. They claimed that they only sell wild pig meat during kagipitan or paggipit lang.
9.8.3 Selling of wild pig meat back then
One respondent started hunting in 1983. He was 16 years old then, and now at 54, he still hunts and sometimes sells the meat of the wild pig caught. Back in 1983, the price per kilo was Php50.00 to 60.00 in Barangay Concepcion. Sometimes they
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went around the barangay walking just to sell. Another respondent from Tagnaya, now 62, narrates that the selling of meat began around 1976 when he was 17 years old. A kilo of meat was Php5.00. There were still many wild pigs at that time. The Batak and Tagbanua sold wild pig meat to the lowlanders, at the small stores along the highway, usually five kilos of meat, in exchange for enough rice and tobacco, and later on with the additions of coffee and sugar. The rest of the meat was shared and consumed by the family and IP neighbors.
Most of the meat that the restaurants prepared as part of their daily menu like adobong baboyramo was from the diwan, not the IPs according to the respondents, except in the case of Tanabag years ago because restaurants used to buy wild pig meat from the Batak in Kalakwasan. The meat was exchanged for goods, then later on for money. One respondent recalled that it was around 2005 when the dayo started offering money as payment. Extensive participation of the Batak in monetized trade was observed to begin sometime in the 1920s when there was an increase in the demand for forest products from Manila (Warren 1964, Eder and Pagayona 1971, as cited in Cadelina 1982)
There were also instances when the dayo would make prior arrangements with hunter/s once a wild pig is caught like getting and bringing it to his contact at a certain price. The dayo who acted like a middleman earns by adding a certain amount (e.g.
Php20.00 per kilo) once he brings it to his contact. This type of arrangement was imitated by some IPs particularly the Tagbanua as they observed money from selling the wild pig meat was fast and could be a good livelihood. Hence, they catch more wild pigs considering they hunt for two weeks every month.
The respondents linked the frequency of selling wild pig meat to the population and accessibility of the wild pig. They noted that the selling of meat before was more
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frequent because wild pig were just nearby, hence they could easily be caught. One should not expect at present to catch, or if you do, it rarely happens because you need to go to the interior and upper forest. They believe the selling of wild pig meat was at its peak when it was selling at Php70.00-75.00, around the period 1980-1990. During this time, the frequent seller was the diwan. They have already invented hunting methods, like silo.
9.8.4 Market, buyer, price, and estimated quantity consumed and sold In Kalakwasan and Tagnaya, the meat market is the lowland and the buyers are the locals nearby. The Batak know who buys or consumes wild pig meat hence, they know where to deliver it.
In Kalakwasan, two respondents are still hunting but they said they have not caught wild pigs for several years already. Another respondent admitted that recently he had two kilos of meat from a family member who was able to catch a wild pig and exchanged it with rice at the lowland for his children and grandchildren. He is aware that it is prohibited but his children and grandchildren according to him need to eat and live. The current price of a kilo of wild pig meat in the area is Php180.00.
In Tagnaya, two of the respondents revealed they caught wild pigs and sold some of the meat (Table 5). In 2020, the meat price ranged from P120.00 to 140.00 per kilo. In 2021, it increased to P150.00. Some buyers would buy all the meat and retail it at a higher price of Php200.00-250.00. One respondent who is a seasonal hunter usually sells 10 kilos of meat if he ever catches one.
The market in Manggapin is also lowland, particularly in the village of Makandring. They also know to whom it should be delivered or sold. There are some regulars, but others could be anybody else who is interested, even the fish vendor, who also knows where to resell it. At Php170.00 per kilo in Makandring, the resell price
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of the buyer is Php200.00 per kilo. An IP like one of the respondents could also be selling it to a buyer at Php200.00 like what he did when he got wild pig meat from a certain IP hunter. The arrangement also happens where meat from the wild pig caught
by a diwan IP diwan. If the price
of the entire meat is Php2,500.00, the carrier gets Php1,000.00.
When a Batak hunter decides to consume the caught wild pig as food, this is equally and freely shared with relatives and neighbors in the community. One wild pig can feed all in the community. On the other hand, if the wild pig caught is to be sold, the head, feet, intestines, etc. are removed and left to the family to be shared with relatives and neighbors in the community. The rest is carried down to the lowland, delivered to a potential buyer, and weighed. The meat is paid by cash or exchanged for rice and other items.
Table 5
Quantity consumed as food and sold with the prevailing price
Respondent
2020 2021
Wild pig caught (no.
of head)
Consumed as food (kl.)
Sold as meat (kl.)
Wild pig caught (no.
of head)
Consumed as food (kl.)
Sold as meat (kl.)
1 3 Could not
recall
Could not recall
4 est. 15 kls est. 15 kls
8 kls for P1,200.00 10 kls for P1,500.00
2 1 5kls- head
intestines, feet, etc.
10 kls for P1,200.00
2 est. 15 kls est. 7 kls
Could not recall 15 kls for P2,250.00
1 5kls- head
intestines, feet, etc.
15 kls for P2,100.00
TOTAL 5 More than
10 kls.
More than 25 kls.
6 More than
52 kls.
More than 33 kls.
The quantity of meat sold most of the time is more than 50% of the total weight of the wild pig caught. The quantity sold also indicates how much is needed by the
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hunter. Whenever a wild pig is caught, and the priority is more to sell the meat, and only consume whatever is left, indicates that the Batak is under extreme difficulty.
Nowadays, only a small part of what has been caught is consumed as food because most of it is sold. In some instances when the remaining meat will not reach all, the Batak cook what is left in one big cauldron, then all the mothers are called to get their share. If this is still not enough, the Batak hunter sometimes shares with his relatives or neighbors some rice he exchanged with meat or purchased from the payment of the meat he sold.
Various studies reported that wild pigs can weigh up to 150 kls. Table 5 indicates that the weight range of wild pigs caught was between 15 to 25 kls. According to one respondent, a 20-kilo-wild pig is more than one year old, while a 30-kilo-wild pig is estimated to be two years and 5 months. Unless, there was some error in the weight estimates of the wild pig caught by the respondents, data in Table 5 suggest that the wild pig caught is as young as one year old. One respondent mentioned that the lifespan of wild pig ranges from six to seven years.
9.8.5 Common use of revenue derived from selling wild pig meat
Revenue derived from selling wild pig meat is utilized to purchase rice, coffee, sugar, salt, vetsin, and in some instances, tobacco. One respondent mentioned that he sometimes reserves some amount just to have something for the next few days.
There are cases when they also share rice supply with their neighbors who have none or if the meat did not reach them. A kilo of wild pig meat could already buy three kilos of rice for a family, which can provide one cup of cooked rice for a family of five for two days with three meals a day.
Rice is a number one commodity that the Batak typically buys from the cash earned from selling wild pig meat, almaciga resin, and other NTFPs. Their rice
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production for subsistence was affected by the earlier restriction in practicing kaingin, and changes in the biophysical environment.
Respondents said they never used meat to pay for their debts because there is no guarantee that they will catch one. They only get cash advance or advance some food items when they gather almaciga resin because they can certainly gather resin.
9.8.6 Implication of wild pig meat selling to Ba ak c l re
Respondents have conflicting responses on whether the selling of wild pig meat is against their culture or not.
Some claimed that the selling of wild pig meat is in fact against the culture of the Batak because it looks like a business already. However, they also justified that the Batak sell wild pig meat out of desperation and hardship. One respondent described it as pangtawid gutom. During rainy season, they have no one else to whom they could ask for help. They realized by selling wild pig meat, money is faster, and immediately they can purchase rice and other commodities to feed their family.
They also said the caretaker of the wild pig is not offended because it does not happen every day. There is a violation of the law but not of their culture because once the meat is sold, there is also food. The selling is not selling but exchanging it with rice for their children and grandchildren. This happens if the meat is to be exchanged for rice. This concern has been raised by the IPs in Kalakwasan to the DENR saying that they will not sell but they hope they can exchange the wild pig meat for rice. The DENR informed them that it is still selling.
T to address this kind of need
is acceptable to the spirits. The Batak seem to think that as long as nothing happens to the hunter who sells wild pig meat, his action is acceptable to the spirits, and the
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risk of getting punished only occurs when the resource is excessively harvested and wasted.
Other respondents said that selling wild pig meat has become a practice. Some respondents attribute this also to intermarriages longer pure. Another respondent thought the culture of the Batak is disappearing, hence this practice. In the culture of the Batak, wild pig meat is a food source, shared among them, and should not have been sold. This practice has now been ruined because it is now being sold. Some expressed hope that their original Batak practice can still return to what it used to be.
The hunting activities of the diwan where they catch many wild pigs are affecting the IPs who do not hunt as frequently as them. They are sometimes blamed for these activities according to the Batak respondents.