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Alden Monzon - The Philippine Star
November 30, 2025 | 12:00am
Association of Abaca Pulp Manufacturers Inc. (APMI) executive director Aurora Peralta told The STAR that this is based on production data as of September, which should account for nearly 70 percent of the expected output this year.
BusinessWorld / File
MANILA, Philippines — Local abaca production has dropped by over five percent according to latest industry data, with the downturn largely attributed to widespread typhoon damage that affected key farming areas across the country.
Association of Abaca Pulp Manufacturers Inc. (APMI) executive director Aurora Peralta told The STAR that this is based on production data as of September, which should account for nearly 70 percent of the expected output this year.
“It’s down more or less 5.3 percent compared to production of 2024,” Peralta said in a phone interview.
Over the long term, she added, production has fallen by 24.5 percent compared with the 57,000 metric tons recorded in 2014.
Peralta said the decline this year is largely due to typhoon damage affecting key abaca-growing regions, particularly in Bicol, one of the country’s top-producing provinces.
In a report earlier this month, the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) reported that the abaca industry of Catanduanes has suffered more than P1.2 billion in losses due to Typhoon Uwan.
PhiFIDA said this has impacted 13,899 farmers in the province.
The government agency said it has already submitted a rehabilitation plan to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to support recovery efforts, with rehabilitation seen taking up to 24 months
A proposal was also submitted to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to extend temporary labor support to farmers affected by the typhoons, which include a financial assistance of P10,000 for workers in the hardest-hit areas and P7,000 for those in communities with moderate damage.
To help the abaca industry further, Peralta urged the government to bring back the use of abaca fiber in Philippine banknotes, saying that doing so would create steady demand for local farmers and support the industry’s recovery.
The Philippines supplies roughly 85 percent of the world’s abaca according to PhilFDA, making it a vital contributor to the global fiber market.
