The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking the support of key government agencies, particularly the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in a renewed effort to revitalize the local abaca industry.
“We will request that the BSP reconsider its decision to remove abaca fiber from Philippine banknotes, given the impact this decision has on the livelihoods of millions who rely on the abaca industry,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. in a statement on Sunday, April 6.
“We will also urge the DFA to incorporate abaca fiber into Philippine passports and ask other government agencies to consider its use in official documents,” he added.
Meanwhile, Arnold Atienza, the executive director of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA), urged the government to take the lead in supporting an industry that generates a high value product relevant to organic farming and environment management.
“Abaca is biodegradable and can be recycled into compost, benefiting the farming community. As the world’s largest supplier of abaca, we have a responsibility to ensure that more of this valuable resource is available to support both the environment and local farmers,” Atienza explained.
He stressed that promoting the abaca industry would align with the global shift toward sustainable industries, besides benefiting 120,145 abaca farmers who are among the poorest in the country, earning an estimated annual gross income of less than P40,000.
The DA pointed out that the local abaca sector, if boosted, could also provide reliable livelihoods to over 1.5 million Filipinos.
Abaca is indigenous to the Philippines, which accounted for 86 percent of the global supply in 2023, the DA noted.
From 2014 to 2023, the abaca industry generated an average annual export revenue of $139.2 million, with 18 percent derived from raw fiber and 82 percent from manufactured products, primarily pulp, it added.
Earlier, Atienza said the government has been working to stop the decline in local production and to halt importation of abaca fiber in 2025.
Abaca production fell by 4 percent to 43,055.775 metric tons (MT) in 2024 from 44,868.363 MT in 2023.
Data from PhilFIDA also showed that as of the end of 2024, overall fiber production in the country reached 54,008.309 MT, 79.7 percent of which was contributed by abaca.
Other types of fiber produced in the country in 2024 included coir, salago, daratex, raffia, kapok, pineapple, buntal, canton, buri and cotton.
