International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

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 Volume 10, Issue 7 (July 2023), Pages: 188-194

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 Original Research Paper

Challenges faced by bamboo furniture makers during the COVID-19 pandemic: An examination of problems and profile attributes

 Author(s): 

 Jimmy F. De Julian Jr. *

 Affiliation(s):

 College of Hospitality Management, Northern Iloilo State University, Iloilo, Philippines

  Full Text - PDF          XML

 * Corresponding Author. 

  Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9040-7485

 Digital Object Identifier: 

 https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2023.07.020

 Abstract:

The global furniture business faced a grim outlook during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly affecting the livelihoods of bamboo furniture makers (BFMs) in Barangay Arante, Sara, Iloilo, Philippines. This study aimed to identify the problems and profile attributes experienced by BFMs during the pandemic, with the objective of addressing and ameliorating their predicaments. Employing Maslow's Theory of Needs and employing a descriptive survey research design, the study carefully examined the challenges faced by BFMs. Twenty purposively chosen respondents participated in completing questionnaires, and the data were analyzed using frequency count, percentage, and rank for variable characterization. The findings highlighted two major problems faced by BFMs during the pandemic: An inconsistent and low supply of bamboo and a lack of sufficient business capital. Socio-demographic and livelihood data revealed that most BFMs were married males with over a decade of experience in the industry, and they initiated their businesses with a capital of less than 25,000.00 Philippine pesos (PhP). These revelations underscore the pressing need for financial and technical assistance to support BFMs during these challenging times. Consequently, positive and immediate action from national and local government units/agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions is crucial to safeguard the welfare of BFMs. Notably, this study diverged from previous works that primarily focused on furniture business operators' perspectives, instead centering on the viewpoints of the BFMs themselves. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on bamboo, specifically regarding the unique challenges confronted by rural BFMs during a pandemic. By recognizing and addressing these issues, the study aims to pave the way for meaningful extension work to assist and uplift the bamboo furniture industry in this difficult period.

 © 2023 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, Bamboo furniture makers, Problems, Profile attributes, Financial and technical assistance

 Article History: Received 25 January 2023, Received in revised form 28 May 2023, Accepted 6 June 2023

 Acknowledgment 

No Acknowledgment.

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 De Julian Jr. JF (2023). Challenges faced by bamboo furniture makers during the COVID-19 pandemic: An examination of problems and profile attributes. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 10(7): 188-194

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