Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Abaca Craft Producers: Philippine illustrations Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Abaca Craft Producers: Philippine Illustrations

INFORMATION The study determined the knowledge, attitude, and practices of abaca craft producers in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur. Specifically, the study sought to determine the socio-demographic profile and the knowledge, attitude, and practices in abaca craft production of the respondents. This study used a quantitative and qualitative research design, utilizing a set of questionnaires and an interview guide involving 134 abaca craft producers, who were selected through a random sampling method. The abaca craft producers were also interviewed through focus group discussion. The results indicated that respondents are 41 or older (41.8%), female (78.4%), have finished secondary level education (55.2%), have 5 to 6 dependents (38.06%), are married (70.9%), have been an abaca craft producer for less than a year (41.4%), and have attended 1 to 2 trainings (46.27%) on abaca craft production. It was found that the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices still needs improvement, with mean values of 3.46, 3.62, and 3.70, respectively. The intervention tools, therefore, should be developed to enhance knowledge, attitudes, and practices, particularly product development training and marketing support, due to the limited market area and the need to adapt to modern methods of marketing. It also identified the lack of funding for equipment and transportation vehicles, where the need to collaborate with local government units and other agencies is recommended. A proposal for a product development project for abaca craft producers is hereby recommended


Introduction
The Municipality of Marihatag was once known as the third biggest producer of abaca in the region. However, abaca production in the municipality remains a poor man's crop, and the farmers get meager income from it. Some have shifted to other high-yielding crops as a result. If not addressed, abaca production will decline and, worse, vanish.
The appropriate procedures for deciding what kind of community extension program should be undertaken will be determined by measuring the knowledge of the local farmers.
Successful businesses are those that regularly generate new knowledge, disseminate it widely throughout the organization, and swiftly incorporate it into new technologies and products at a time when markets change, technologies proliferate, competitors multiply, and products become obsolete almost overnight. As a result, Knowlede, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) surveys have gained popularity, particularly in the agricultural and production sectors, where they contribute to the collection of crucial data for the planning, design, and implementation of livelihood initiatives. A KAP survey should preferably come before a program of awareness or an intervention program. The survey's findings will give program designers the information they need to create successful programs and will serve as a starting point for future program performance assessments.
This research intends to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of abaca craft producers and abaca farmers in the municipality of Marihatag to provide benchmark information or to propose an intervention plan to be presented to the barangay officials for review and consideration. This will also increase awareness of abaca production as a primary economic force for the local farmers in the area.

Materials and Methods
This study used a quantitative and qualitative research design, utilizing a set of questionnaires and an interview guide involving 134 abaca craft producers, who were selected through a random sampling method. The abaca craft producers were also interviewed through focus group discussion. This study was conducted in the upland barangays and in those that were identified as practicing abaca crafting and abaca farming in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.
Four out of 12 barangays from the municipality of Marihatag were identified, namely: Brgy.
San Isidro, Brgy. Mahaba, Brgy. Amontay, and Brgy. Mararag. Hard-to-reach places that are only accessible by foot or local modes of transportation were visited since most abaca craft producers and farmers in the municipality are located in these areas. From a total population of 200 individuals, 134 participants were identified through simple random sampling from the selected barangays of the municipality.
In order to find truth in the findings from the collected information, the researchers used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data gathering in order to collect high-quality responses from the identified respondents. An interview guide was prepared in order to collect information about the challenges that the abaca craft producers encountered during production. These questionnaires have undergone validity tests and were validated by professionals in the fields of business, trading, and agriculture. A reliability test was conducted in the municipality of San Agustin to ensure the quality of the questionnaires. These questionnaires will help identify the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of abaca craft producers.
The questionnaires contain two sections. Section I is for the socio-demographic profile of the respondents, and Section II is for knowledge, attitude, and practices. An interview guide was also used to determine the challenges met in order to triangulate the responses of the respondents. The researchers scheduled a focus group discussion (FGD) in the identified barangays to ensure quality interviews. The respondents answered all two (2) sections of the questionnaire and participated in the interview.
In this study, the researchers used audio recordings and field notes to gather information on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of abaca craft producers and the challenges in abaca craft production. To ensure the clarity of the recordings, transcription was done after audio recording. The responses of the participants were written down to provide clear information. We continued the process for the remaining interviews, which allowed the researchers to analyze the data throughout the study. After gathering the data, the results were analyzed and translated from Kamayo and Bisaya into English. The researchers then identified the knowledge, attitude, and practices of abaca craft producers and the challenges they faced during production and product sale. Through the use of the indicators, the results were analyzed and transcribed.

Results and Discussions
To aid in the systematic presentation, the datasets were presented in the order of the study's specific objectives. These were presented in five (5) sections: Section 1 discusses the socio-demographic profile of the abaca craft producers as to age, religion, sex, educational attainment, number of dependents, marital status, number of years as an abaca craft producer, and number of trainings attended on abaca craft production and farming. Section 2 discusses the knowledge level of the abaca craft producers as to factual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. Section 3 shows the attitude components of the respondents' attitudes as affective, behavioral, and cognitive. Section 4 discusses the practices of the abaca craft producers as to purchasing, crafting, and marketing. Lastly, Section 5 discusses the challenges that the respondents experienced and is presented through a deductive thematic analysis. programs. In spite of their greater physical frailty than younger adults, post-reproductive adults report developing additional conceptual and procedural proficiency as they age past their earlier years of peak performance. Adults accurately perceive their competence levels and skill sets-a crucial insight for social comparison, learning, and education. This is further supported by the study by Schniter et al. (2015). As shown in the table, most abaca craft producers are female, which is 78.4% of the total population. The results demonstrated women's crucial role of their contribution in craftmaking and in enhancing the creative value of their abaca products. These women supplement their family's income while still carrying out their domestic responsibilities, like caring for their children and cooking, by incorporating their motifs into abaca crafts. This is further supported by the study of Subiyantoro (2021). As shown in the table, most of the respondents' educational attainment is on secondary level which is 55.2%.The upland areas of the municipality of Marihatag have poor road access and have limited educational institutions. Most of the residents in these areas often work on the fields after they have finished their secondary level of education. In contrast to this, a farmer with more education is known to use information, guidance, and training more effectively, participate in government programs more frequently, and be more proactive in embracing change and making plans for the future of the company. The need for these qualities is growing as change occurs more quickly. This is further supported by the study of Gasson (1998). As shown in the table, most abaca craft producers have 5-6 dependents which is 38.06% of the total population, while those with 7 or more only make up 5.97%.The upland barangays of Marihatag are mostly secluded due to limited road access. Most of these communities are of common ancestry, and these families practice a common Filipino tradition of harboring cousins and other relatives in their homes. Farmers and their families typically need work off the farm to supplement their income. The environmental factors have a significant impact on and determine how to preserve and support the family and its survival. This is further supported by the study of Sadguna et al. (2017). As shown in the table, most abaca craft producers are married, taking 55.2%, while there are only 3.7% who are widowed or widowers.This implies that married people are more likely to be interested in farming and may even have their spouses help them out with certain tasks. Abaca craft production is labor-intensive, and practitioners typically require a large family to support production labor and reduce labor costs. This is further supported by the study of Ebewore and Isiorhovoja (2019).   As shown in the table, most abaca craft producers in the municipality have not participated in any trainings related to abaca craft production and farming, taking 50% of the total, while there are only 1.49% who have been to 4-6 trainings, seminars, or workshops.There is a lack of training offered for this specific field since there are only a few areas that practice abaca craft production. It is evident based on the data that the recent pandemic has affected the progress of abaca craft practice in the municipality of Marihatag. Six factors can be used to summarize the effects of training on abaca craft producers: improved work quality, higher output, cost and time savings, improved income, and improved networking. This is supported by the study by Noor and Dola (2011).  Cognitive refers to the thoughts and beliefs an individual has about an attitude object (Jain 2014). Information a person has about an object-information that directly connects an object and attribute-is what the study of expressed theta belief is. The cognitive component is the part of the brain that stores and organizes information. Base on the data gathered, it revealed that purchasing practices has a mean of 3.80. For crafting practices, it has a mean of 3.44. Lastly, for marketing practices, it has a mean of 3.58.
The total overall mean for knowledge is 3.70. This implies that respondents need improvement in this aspect of the practice indicator due to the need to enhance their purchasing risk-taking skills. The results of the study show that purchasing risk-taking affects purchasing knowledge and skills and that strategic purchasing affects knowledge and abilities in purchasing.
Additionally, the study discovers that high-performing organizations have better associations than low-performing ones with risk taking, purchasing knowledge and skills, and strategic purchasing (Carr 2000).

Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study, it has been identified that abaca craft producers in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur, need product development training and marketing support due to the limited market area and the need to adapt to modern marketing methods. It is also identified as a lack of funding for equipment and transportation vehicles, where the need to collaborate with local government units and other agencies is recommended. A proposal for a Product Development Project for Abaca Craft Producers is hereby recommended.