Senator Cynthia Villar, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, is pushing for the declaration of the Province of Catanduanes as the “Abaca Capital of the Philippines” in her recently filed Senate Bill No. 1748.
The Philippines is the top producer of abaca in the world. Catanduanes is the top abaca producer of the country and the world as it contributes 90 percent to abaca production in the Bicol Region.
Villar’s proposed bill seeks to “promote and support the abaca industry of the province, while safeguarding it from the destruction of plant diseases and calamitous events”.
Statistics from the Department of Agriculture show that “from 2013 to 2019, the Bicol Region is the top producer of abaca fiber having produced a total of 22,987 metric ton, which comprises 37% of the national production”.
The abaca harvested in the province of Catanduanes is even higher than the production of Ecuador, the second biggest abaca producer in the world after the Philippines.
“It is but proper and apt that we officially name Catanduanes as the abaca capital of our country because it really has ever since,” Villar said.
“Once passed, the bill will also provide the province with additional government support and allocation. That will help them to further grow and develop the abaca industry to benefit the farmers and all the people who depend on it for livelihood,” the veteran legislator added.
Abaca is the main source of livelihood of the people living in Catanduanes. The abaca industry directly benefits nearly 13,000 farmers who are tending over 33,000 hectares of land in 11 abaca-producing municipalities in the province.
“Demand for it increased during the pandemic because abaca is the main raw material for masks, PPE and other medical or healthcare-related products.”
“About 97% of all the total abaca produced in the country are exported as pulp, raw fiber, handloom fabric or handicraft. So, it is a high-value agricultural commodity and top dollar earner. Demand for it increased during the pandemic because abaca is the main raw material for masks, PPE, and other medical or healthcare-related products,” the seasoned lawmaker noted.
Abaca is also an important raw material for tea bags, coffee filters, food packaging, textile, clothing, shoes, bags, wall coverings, sheets, and even paper money. Japanese currency notes (Yen) actually contain up to 30% abaca.
“The abaca sector alone contributes P4.7 billion to the country’s economy annually, so it deserves all the support it needs.”
“The abaca sector alone contributes P4.7 billion to the country’s economy annually, so it deserves all the support it needs. Aside from its economic contribution, fiber from abaca also has great environmental benefits. The plant which is a species of banana native to the Philippines is considered to be zero waste,” the lady senator emphasized.
Besides abaca, she also bats for more government support to other natural fibers in the country such as bagasse, bamboo, banana, bariw, buntal, buri, cabonegro, cogon, coir, cotton, jute (saluyot), kapok, kenaf, kozo, maguey, nipa, nito, pandan, pina, raffia, ramie, rattan, rice straw, sabutan, salago, sansevieria, seagrass, sil, sisal, sword agave, talahib, tikog, vetiver and waterlily.