ROPEMAKING PROCESS

The creation of the ropes in Suba-Masulog, Lapu-Lapu City is not an easy task to do. It requires a process which is followed. Ropes from Suba-Masulog have three types: the opak , the abaca and the nylon . The opak , the usual product of the three, is exported outside of the country like the United States , Germany and other Asian Countries. The creation of the opak is as follows:

Step 1

The opak is first moistened to strengthen its fibers.

"Opak ropes from Suba-Masulog"

Step 2

Opak strands are twirled using the tursihan , a device used to twirl the strands and make into into a rope, and a thin opak rope is formed.

"Mr. Willie Casul using his tursihan to twirl the abaca"

Step 3

Two opak ropes are joined together by a much larger tursihan to form the real Opak rope.

"Mr. Willie's daughter using a specialized cylinder bamboo to guide the rope as it twirls."

The creation of opak ropes requires three people: the first one turns the tursihan, the second one guides the rope through a block of wood and the third one turns the other side of the tursihan.

"A ropemaker from Suba Masulog recycling old nylon ropes from the Pier to create a new set of nylon ropes"