NATONIN, Mtn. Province – Natonin Mayor Jose Agagon is taking the challenges in stride for the development and promotion of the Abaca industry here.
The past administrations tried to revive the Abaca production and processing in the past but the efforts failed somewhere.
People from Bicol were brought in and hired to initiate specially the processing of the native abaca plants. For sometime the processing went well and the trading of the produce thrived but it stopped along the way.
The Bicol people went back home leaving behind the Abaca industry’s future uncertain and in dilemma. The operation stopped for several years.
Incumbent mayor Agagon said that he went to the Fiber Industry Development Agency (FIDA) office in Manila this last January 2023 and was linked to a prospective marketing partner who committed to buy all the produce.
It was good that some locals still retained the knowledge and skills in the technology of processing the raw Abaca fiber, The mayor is confident that his new innovation would push through with what has been started long before.
The Corbs spouts
Even the knives, machines, and other implements were recovered for the purpose of reviving the Abaca industry.
Abaca Davao variety has been imported from Davao to augment the native varieties. Accordingly, a native soldier of Natonin brought suckers from Davao which is of better quality than the variety that thrives in the place.
These local people who possessed the knowledge and skills acquired from the Bicol migrants were hired by the local government as Job Orders to do the work such as gathering and stripping the Abaca trunks to raw fiber materials.
The local government is planning to hire five (5) Job Orders per barangay, on rotation basis for benefitting more, with the hope that they can organize themselves.
A cooperative or association will then be formed composed by these newly skilled people for the sustainability of production and management. Land owners will be given priority, according to the mayor.
The stripping process
Mayor Agagon plans to have these plantations of Abaca be planted with fruit trees in between. “In time, there will be livelihood for the locals”, he surmised.
Making of souvenir items is in the agenda of initiating a livelihood venture for the people. “We will revive the industry with the help of the Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA)”, he quipped.
The by-products of Abaca identified being made are ropes, jutes, sacks, cartoons, bags, papers, etc. but are now unavailable in the markets.
He sees good prospects in the industry and hopes that it will prosper as he foresees time will come that people will be on their own even after his administration. The next mayor might not be as supportive as he is.
Only Natonin has an Abaca plantations in the municipality. It might be due to the inherent climate of the area which is between the coldness of the highlands and hot temperature of the lowlands.
Another factor considered is the abundance of water in almost all nooks and crannies of the place. No scientific data as to the soil characteristics are available though.**Roger Sacyaten
