The House of Representatives has declared Catanduanes as the abaca capital of the Philippines.
Under House Bill 6149 that was approved on third and final reading by the House last month, Catanduanes is recognized as the country’s biggest producer of abaca fiber in the country, thus, deserving the title “Abaca Capital of the Philippines.”
Approval of HB 6149 was strongly endorsed by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food chaired by Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga.
Authored by TGP partylist Rep. Jose Teves Jr., HB 6149 ache acknowledges the Bicol region province’s contribution to the country’s agricultural development.
“Considering Catanduanes as the top producer of abaca product in the Philippines, it highly contributed in the standing of the country as the world’s largest producers of abaca, supplying 87 percent of the world’s requirement in natural fiber,” Teves said.
He explained that Catanduanes folk are “widely known in producing high quality fibers” and have made this imprint in the international market.
“The main source of livelihood of the greater population living in Catanduanes is farming and production of abaca, which constitutes 12,679 abaca farmers of total 33,097 hectares of land in 11 abaca-producing municipalities,” noted Teves.
He recalled that a similar bill was approved during the 17th Congress but failed to win Senate action. Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento authored the bill.
HB 6149 recognizes the importance of abaca production as “driver of rural development” and its tremendous contribution in increasing the country’s export earnings.