Status and Prospects of the Basi Industry in Ilocos Sur

Abstract

"Basi" is a popular folk wine of Ilocanos; it comes from sugarcane. This study aimed to kow the present status of the basi industry in llocos Sur and determined its prospects to widen its market and be considered for product export. The descriptive method of research and purposive sampling technique were utilized. Interview was the gathering tool. Findings show that most of the basi producers have big families, cultivate small size of land area which are mostly leased, borrowed or inherited the livelihood from their parents or grandparents, and have an estimated net income of above P5,000 per cropping. Further, "basi" is used for gift-giving, as a daily drink, and for offering during a quack doctor's healing ceremony. It has also medicinal benefits, gives longer life, good for health maintenance, and it is a milder drink than the commercial ordinary wine. Moreover, its market location is mostly at the producer's residential house; buyers include tourists, balikbayans, or vacationists; demand is greater than its supply; most are packaged and sold in unsealed and unlabeled gallons and bottles; and market pricing is claimed as "just and fair". Finally, the traditional process in cooking the sugarcane juice with a spoon oflime, then stacking in jars with the barks and/or leaves for months till the "basi" or wine taste occurs still prevails. It is recommended that to have a continuous supply of "basi", the Local Government Units (LGUs) through cooperatives or other organizations should provide widerland areas to be planted with sugarcane.