Maluso: Colorful strips of pandan leaves hang from metal frames, sometimes swaying with a gust of wind, in the common economic facility in Maluso, Basilan. Sibiya Bahali, fondly called Inah Biri, waits for the long leaves that have been soaked in food color to dry. "This [drying facility] is a big help to us," she said. "We are able to predict how long it will take for us to complete weaving mats more efficiently."

According to Philippines News Agency, long-standing challenges such as armed conflict, poverty, clan disputes, and environmental risks have contributed to the vulnerability of communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. These factors have led to the displacement of some members of the indigenous Sama-Bajau community and affected their access to sustainable livelihoods. Moreover, aspects of their mobile way of life have increased their risk of statelessness, limiting visibility and access to the full range of rights and services.

Traditionally, the indigenous Sama-Bajau are seafaring people who rely heavily on the sea for their livelihood. Whenever weather permits, the men go out to get fresh catch. Among women, mat weaving is a traditional craft and income-generating endeavor. However, modernization has made this labor- and time-intensive undertaking less attractive to the younger generation.

In the coastal town of Maluso, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with support from the Japanese government, is working with Relief International to support the livelihood of the Magtetepoh Women's Organization through the Initiative in Promoting Digital Birth Registration. They also safeguard the rights and identities of vulnerable individuals, preventing risks of statelessness, and promoting access to essential services.

"I'm happy that more women now want to learn [to weave]," Bahali, 56, said. She never completed schooling. Her husband is a fisher. In order to help with expenses for their eight children, she has worked as a laundrywoman and vendor in the past. Now, she has a stable source of income as a mat weaver. Her grandmother and mother taught her how to weave when she was 13.

Today, she not only contributes to the household purse but has also become a well-regarded member of the community. As a master weaver, she has taught and continues to teach many younger women how to make mats, empowering them with a sustainable source of livelihood. "We get along with each other. We help one another. Since there are more of us now, we are able to make more [tepoh]," Bahali said. "If my grandmother could see me now."

When she was young, Rowena Nulaji's grandmother attempted to teach her how to weave, but she was not interested. Today, she has realized the wisdom of learning a traditional practice. She has developed dexterity for the craft and though she works full time as a pre-school teacher, she also weaves at home to earn a bit more income and because "it would be a shame not to use what I have learned." She basks in the sisterhood she shares with neighbors when they weave together and admits that she likes singing local love songs as she swiftly moves her hands to form a pattern.

Learning how to weave and sew woven mats into coin purses, wallets, and bags has given Cecille Damdani more economic empowerment. Whereas she used to be a stay-at-home mom who waited for her husband's earnings to decide how to budget it for her nine children, now that she also earns, she is assured that they will at least be able to eat rice every day. "Never mind if we can only have salt or soy sauce with it," Damdani said.

The tools and materials as well as the drying area for the Magtetepoh Women's Organization help them manage their work better and not be subject to unpredictable weather, since drying time is crucial to their work. With financial stability, women registered their children's births, securing legal identity and enabling access to health, education, and livelihood support programs that strengthen household resilience and open opportunities for training, microfinance, and community development.