Legarda vows stronger support for Antique’s abaca farmers and MSMEs

Senator Loren Legarda has reaffirmed her strong commitment to revitalizing Antique’s abaca industry by directly supporting local farmers, encouraging youth participation, and pushing for value-adding production so that Antique can compete in larger local and global markets.

Speaking at the Abaca Stakeholders’ Forum held today at the Kinaray-a Hotel, the Antiqueña Senator said that while the province is rich in natural resources, its share of the abaca market remains low, only 0.82% of Western Visayas’ production from 2019 to 2024 according to the report of Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) Region 6.

“Ang abaca ay hindi lamang hibla; ito ay bahagi ng kabuhayan, at likas-yamang ipinagkaloob sa atin ng mayamang lupain dito sa Antique,” Legarda said.

“Sa kabila ng lahat ng hamon, naniniwala po ako na may pag-asa at malaking potensyal tayo sa paggawa ng mga abaca twine at iba pang produktong abaca,” Legarda told farmers, local officials, and representatives from the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) and other government agencies.

Legarda personally funded an abaca twining training in Fragante, Pandan, providing initial materials so participants could learn and earn from the craft.

“Unti-unti nating ibabangon ang industriya ng abaca sa ating probinsya. Hindi natin hahayaang masayang at hindi mapakinabangan ng ating mga kasimanwa ang yamang kinakanlong ng Antique,” she stressed.

The four-term Senator laid out her vision to strengthen Antique’s abaca industry by encouraging youth engagement through skills training, scholarships, and livelihood kits to inspire young Antiqueños to venture into abaca farming; promoting value-adding and local processing so that the province produces not just raw materials but high quality Antique-made abaca products for larger markets; providing continued support to MSMEs as the backbone of the local economy; and advancing livelihood and sustainability to ensure that every strand of abaca translates into decent incomes for farmers while preserving the province’s traditional respect for nature.

In a briefing conducted by PhilFIDA Region 6 in Pandan, Antique, in July, PhilFIDA reported that Antique’s abaca sector faces significant hurdles due to an aging farmer population, a shortage of skilled fiber strippers, and insufficient processing facilities for advanced designs and larger-scale production. However, Legarda sees these not as stumbling blocks but as areas for intervention and growth.

“Ang pinakamahalaga po ay ang maitaas ang antas at dignidad ng pamumuhay ng bawat pamilyang Antiqueño sa pamamagitan ng pagpapalago ng kanilang likas na talento, pagsusumikap, at ng mga yaman ng kalikasang ipinagkaloob sa ating mahal na probinsya,” Legarda said. (30)