An official from the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority-Davao Region (PhilFida-Davao) revealed the risk of exporting daratex, a hybrid of abaca and banana, could tarnish the Philippines’ reputation in quality abaca products exportation.
“Wala tayong problema sa export, ang problema if ang abakang manggagaling sa Davao [Region] ay hindi tunay na abaca (We don't have a problem with exporting, the problem is if the abaca coming from Davao is not genuine abaca),” engineer Irma Rodis, PhilFida-Davao regional director, said in an interview with the media on October 27.
“‘Pag yung mga quality na mga products nila nakita nila na pangit, i-traceback nila dito manggagaling, masisira ang Pilipinas for the quality of abaca na ibibigay natin sa kanila (If they see that the quality of their products is poor, they will trace it back to its source, which is here in the Philippines. It will tarnish the reputation of the Philippines for the quality of abaca that we provide to them),” Rodis added.
Rodis, however, said the abaca fiber produced in Davao is already good, emphasizing the need to rehabilitate fiber plantations and increase the production of authentic abaca fibers.
She also said as of the moment, the Davao Region’s export market is “currently good”, with Davao’s abaca production at 13,108.47 metric tons, according to PhilFida’s 2022 data.
“So kailangan isustain natin yon, kasi for the IPs (indigenous people), para di sila ma-displace, kasi for abaca, it’s for the IPs talaga (We need to sustain planting authentic abaca for our IPs so that they will not be displaced)… there’s a clamor to produce authentic abaca fiber,” Rodis said.
It can be noted that the suspension of abaca-buying operations in Talaingod was because they were planting daratex and it has impacted over 2,638 IP families from 70 sub-villages in Talaingod town, according to local officials in Davao del Norte.
The Newtech, the largest pulp mill in the country which is located in Iligan, Lanao del Norte, had also put a ban on abaca farmers in Davao Region, but was lifted in July this year. ICE