IMMERSE

YOURSELF
ACROSS
IN COLORFUL
CULTURES
SOUTH
AND FIND
ADVENTURE AS
EAST
YOU TRAVEL
ACROSS
ASIA
SOUTHEAST EXPLORING ASIA'S
ASIA. HIDDEN GEMS
 ACTIVITY 3.4
TY PE S
THR EE H E
ER IN T
OF FIB

PINES
PHILIP
The Philippines is one of the world’s
largest producers of fiber crops. It
is blessed with optimal weather
conditions, good types of soil, even
distribution of rain throughout the
year, and other related factors,
which make growing fiber crops
These crops are used in making different
favorable. Abaca, cotton, maguey,
products sold in local and international
pineapple, and ramie are just some
markets. The raw materials we get from
fiber crops grown in the country.
fiber crops are valued for their strength
and durability. These fiber crops provide
us with materials use in making clothes,
linen, bags, nets, slippers, doormats, mats,
and others.

one of the valuable indigenous plants of the Philippines.

Abaca is a banana-like plant. The trunk of the plant consists
of 92% water. The finer fibers, often about five meters (15
ft.) long, are used for weaving cloth. The outer, courser
fibers are used in manufacturing matting and durable
cordage. Abaca has numerous uses and products like Manila
paper, copra bags, tea bags, coffee filters, and security and
currency papers. Abaca leaves are used for shading and
wrapping. Leaf sheaths are used for roofing and for shading
newly transplanted seedling, while the dried outer leaf
sheaths are used for making trays, bags, wall panelling, and
place mats. In the Bicol region (Albay, Camarines, and
Sorsogon), the most varieties of abaca grown are Itom,
Itolus 45, Lausigon, Lausmug 24, Sagurud, Samina, Sugmad,
and Tinawagan.

ADVATAGES OF ABACA NATURAL

FIBER
Strongest natural plant

fiber.

Durable.

Flexible.

Long fiber length.

Does not swell or lose

strength in water.

Resistant to saltwater

damage.

Self-extinguishing.

Products obtained from

Abaca fibers are eco-

friendly.

PINA FIBER
THE PROCESS OF PIÑA WEAVING IS COMPLETED IN FIVE
PINEAPPLE LEAVES ARE HARVESTED AND STRIPPED OF
BLUNT INSTRUMENT (FOR EXAMPLE A COCONUT SHELL).
THE DEVELOPMENT OF ‘VEGAN’ LEATHER MADE
FROM PINEAPPLE (PIÑA) LEAVES IS
CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST ECO-
FRIENDLY MATERIAL INNOVATIONS IN RECENT
YEARS. PIONEERED BY PIÑATEX, A COMPANY
LED BY DR CARMEN HIJOSA, AND RESEARCHERS
AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART IN LONDON,
THE MATERIAL HAS BEEN USED IN FOOTWEAR
PROTOTYPES BY BRANDS INCLUDING PUMA AND
CAMPER.
THE UNDERLYING PROCESS, PIÑA WEAVING,
HAS A MUCH LONGER HISTORY IN THE
PHILIPPINES, PARTICULARLY IN AKLAN IN THE
WESTERN VISAYAS WHERE NATIVE PINEAPPLE
PLANTS HAVE BEEN CULTIVATED FOR THEIR
FIBRE FOR GENERATIONS. TRADITIONALLY
WORN BY THE COUNTRY’S ELITE AND ONLY
MADE BY A SMALL NUMBER OF WOMEN, PIÑA
CLOTH HAS EXPERIENCED A RESURGENCE IN
RECENT YEARS, PARTLY THANKS TO ITS NEW
APPLICATIONS IN THE COMMERCIAL FASHION
INDUSTRY.
STAGES. DURING THE FIRST STEP, PAGKIGUE, MATURE
THEIR OUTER COATING BY SCRAPING THEM WITH A
TWO GRADES OF FIBRE ARE EXTRACTED FROM THE
LEAVES: THE FIRST, CALLED BASTOS, IS STRONG AND
COURSE AND USUALLY RESERVED FOR MAKING STRING
OR TWINE. LINIWAN, OR WASHOUT, ONLY LIFTS AWAY
FROM THE LEAF AFTER VIGOROUS SCRAPING. IT IS
MUCH FINER AND USED FOR WEAVING FABRIC. THE
GREEN EPIDERMAL LAYER IS WASHED AWAY FROM THE
FIBRES, LEAVING BEHIND WHITE, OPAQUE THREADS.
THE PAGPISI AND PAGPANUG OT STAGES
INVOLVE HAND-KNOTTING AND TRIMMING
INDIVIDUAL FIBRES TO CREATE ONE LONG,
SEAMLESS FILAMENT. THE FILAMENT IS
WARPED AND SPUN ONTO SPOOLS DURING
PAGTALINUAS; WHEN IT’S NOT BEING
MANIPULATED, THE LOOSE FIBRES ARE MIXED
WITH SAND TO PREVENT THEM FROM TANGLING.
THE FINAL STAGE OF PIÑA WEAVING, CALLED
PAGHABOE, INVOLVES WEAVING THE CLOTH ON
AN UPRIGHT TWO-TREADLE LOOM.
FINISHED PIÑA FABRIC IS TRANSLUCENT AND
STIFF. IT IS OFTEN MIXED WITH SILK OR
POLYESTER TO MAKE SCARVES OR GARMENTS,
INCLUDING THE BARONG TAGALOG, THE
NATIONAL DRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES. PIÑA
CLOTH CAN BE FINISHED WITH TRADITIONAL
FILIPINA HAND EMBROIDERY, CALLED CALADO.
PINA FIBER
PRODUCTS
RAFFIA FIBER
THE RAFFIA FIBER IS OBTAINED FROM
THE RAFFIA (RAPHIA) PALM TREE,
WHICH GROWS IN TROPICAL REGIONS
AND IN WET SOIL IN MADAGASCAR,
AFRICA AND THE PHILIPPINES. THE
RAFFIA PALM (RAPHIA FARINIFERA) IS
MADE OF LONG LEAVES THAT CAN
ATTAIN 60FT (18M), WHICH MAKES IT
THE PALM TREE WITH THE LARGEST
BRANCHES.EACH PALM BRANCH IS MADE
OF NEARLY 100 LEAFLETS, WHICH ARE
CUT AND TORN OFF IN PARALLEL LINES
YIELDING LONG CONTINUOUS FIBER OF
A PALE GREEN COLOR.

COLLECTORS GO DEEP INTO

THE ISLAND TO HARVEST THE
RAFFIA PALM.THEY STRIP AND
DRY THE FRESHLY CUT PALE
GREEN STRAND AND SUN DRY
THEM.THE DRIED RAFFIA
FIBERS THEN TURN BEIGE IN
COLOR TO YIELD THE NATURAL
COLORED RAFFIA WE ALL
KNOW.
THE RAFFIA STRANDS ARE THEN BROUGHT
INTO WAREHOUSES, WHERE THEY ARE
SORTED AND SEPARATED INTO DIFFERENT
QUALITIES OF RAFFIA, ACCORDING TO THEIR
COLOR, TEXTURE, FIBER LENGTH AND
WIDTH.
EACH QUALITY IS THEN TRANSFERRED TO
ANOTHER SECTION WHERE THEY WILL BE
PUT UP INTO RAFFIA HANKS, BALLS, BRAIDS
OR SPOOLS. PART OF THIS NATURAL RAFFIA
IS ALSO DYED TO OBTAIN COLORED NATURAL
RAFFIA.
A L L
T H E S E P R O C E S S E S F R O M T H E
RAFFIA HARVESTING, TO THE DYING
AND PACKING ARE DONE MANUALLY
BY THE LOCAL PEOPLE WITH THE
UTMOST RESPECT TO THE
ENVIRONMENT. GOVERNMENTAL
LAWS ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE
PRESERVATION OF THE RAFFIA
PALM TREES BY LIMITING THE
HARVEST OF RAFFIA PALM FROM
JUNE TO OCTOBER EACH YEAR TO
ALLOW THE BRANCHES OF THE
RAFFIA PALM TREES TO REGROW
BEFORE THE START OF THE NEXT
HARVEST
.
RAFFIA FIBER PRODUCTS