Current Kanlaon crisis hurting La Castellana’s P50-million banana industry

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The current Kanlaon Volcano crisis is hurting the P50 million banana industry of La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan said on Friday, March 14.

Nicor-Mangilimutan also said that this year’s Banana Festival slated every April 1 to 5 has been cancelled because of Kanlaon’s continued restiveness.

She said that it is sad that the Kanlaon crisis has already brought them lots of challenges, including draining their funds and, now also affecting their banana industry.

As the “banana capital” of Negros Occidental with more 500 hectares of backyard-type banana plantations, La Castellana, a first class municipality located near the foot of Kanlaon, produces more than 40 tons of bananas every month prior to the volcano’s eruptions since last year.

La Castellana’s banana industry also comprises one-fourth,  or around P50 million of the town’s P193 million revenue from agricutural products, said the mayor.

But with the ongoing Kanlaon crisis, she said banana plantations in five of their affected barangays — Biak na Bato, Cabagnaan, Masulog, Mansalanao and Sag-ang — have already been affected, hurting the more than 1,300 farming families in these villages, who are mostly dependent on their banana plants.

Data from the Office of the Municipal Agriculture said that La Castellana has banana farms in of all its 13 barangays.

Aside from the 500 hectares across 13 villages with farmers being supported by the local government, there are another 17 hectares banana plantation being managed and maintained by a private firm in Barangay Lalagsan.

With its three famous or abundant varities of bananas — saba, latundan, and balangon —  La Castellana has already established a captive market in China for its saba sticks and crackers.

The local government is now planning to put a processing plant for saba sticks and crackers.

This time, however, the mayor said their export of saba sticks and crackers might be affected, too, because of the continuing Kanlaon crisis.

In 2019, La Castellana’s saba sticks were cited as “Best Innovative Saba Banana Snack Food Product” during the 16th Q Asia’s National Product Quality Awards.

That is why every April 1 to 5 La Castellana holds a Banana Festival to honor its banana farmers for their great contribution to the town’s economy.

But with the Kanlaon crisis, this year’s Banana Festival, said Nicor-Mangilimutan, was put on hold.

Albert Barrogo, OIC of the Department of Agriculture-Negros Island Region (DA-NIR), told Rappler on Monday, March 17,  that he empathized with the people of La Castellana and its banana industry.

“We know and understand the problem confronting the banana industry in town right now. In fact, we have standby fund intended for the rehabilitation efforts, but we cannot move yet since we cannot assess the extent, or degree of damage among the banana plantations across the municipality because of the ongoing abnormalities being shown by Kanlaon Volcano,” Barrogo said.

He, however, assured the local government of La Castellana that DA-NIR has a fund to be alloted for its banana plantation rehabilitation once the crisis is over.

Meanwhile, Nicor-Mangilimutan appealed to the national government agencies concerned for the replishment of their local budget used for feeding their evacuees since Kanlaon eruption on December 9.

Last year, she said they spent more than P32 million for food of the evaucees and fuel during evacuation period as well as for the daily transport of goods.

Aside from food expenses, the local government also subsidizes the tuition and allowances of more than 200 students in the five affected barangays — Biak na Bato, Cabanagnaan, Masulog, Mansalanao and Sag-ang — where the livelihoods of parents were negatively impacted by the present crisis.

As of March 14, La Castellana is still housing 4,244 evacuees in nine evacuation centers.

These include 693 from Biak na Bato, 2,228 from Cabagnaan, 617 from Masulog, 482 from Mansalanao and 224 from Sag-ang.

However, Mangilimutan said that Office of the Civil Defense Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno already promised to her that a P47-million replenishment for La Castellana’s financial aid is underway as supporting papers are now with the Office of the President. – Rappler.com