Marinduque cashes in on buntal fiber weaving

MANILA, Philippines — Marinduque is an island located at the geographical center of the country.

A report by Marinduque State College faculty researcher Michael Capiña showed that buntal  handloom weaving is an important  income-generating activity in the province.

Capiña said  buri, buntal and raffia fibers are sourced from buri palm.  Buri is the matured leaf of the palm while raffia is the young shoot or leaf of the palm.

Buntal is the fiber extracted from the petiole of the palm.

According to the Provincial Office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of Marinduque, the total value of processed buntal ranges from P2 million to P4 million from  2007 to 2010.

Meanwhile, the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) reported that an average of  12.5 metric tons of buntal fiber are produced nationwide.  The most noted producers are the provinces of Bohol, Pangasinan, Palawan, Marinduque and Quezon.

In Marinduque alone, a total of 326.32 hectares of land are planted to buri palm trees with a total of 91,646 buri palm plants distributed in the six towns of Marinduque namely Boac, Sta. Cruz,  Torrijos, Mogpog,  Gasan and Buenavista.

There are  21 buntal fiber producers in Marinduque where the weekly demand for buntal fiber of the two major processors of buntal-based products runs up to 84 kilos or around 4,032 kilos per year.

 In the province, the potential income from buri palms per year is estimated at P10.3 million  if harvesting is done twice a year and is seen to increase to P15.6 million if harvesting is done thrice per year.

Due to the abundance of raw materials of buntal fiber, and the skills both in extracting fiber and loom weaving, along with the intensive product innovation and new product development, through the assistance of the Marinduque State College and DTI, the industry promises opportunity for providing employment to industry stakeholders, thereby augmenting the income for their livelihood.