Calvin Klein goes for Aklan fiber

Taking pride at being able to enter the competitive international designer industry, the province of Aklan announced that it has successfully kept its fibers free from virus amid infestations being experienced by other fiber-producing provinces in the country.

Fiber manufacturers of Aklan said they have implemented strict quality control of their products, from planting, propagating, and harvesting of crops.

Because of this, they have been able to penetrate the international market, supplying fiber products to top designer label Calvin Klein for seven years now.

"Aklan fibers remain free from virus," said Anna India Legaspi, president of the Aklan Piña Manufacturers and Traders Association (APMTA), referring to the bunchy-top virus which has affected crops in the Bicol region, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga. The virus causes the degradation of the fibers, which break easily when afflicted by the crop disease.

Legaspi’s family owns Manufacturer Heritage Arts and Crafts (MHAC).

MHAC chief executive Javier Legaspi said the company earns around $50,000 annually from supplying Calvin Klein with fiber products such as sinamay and abaca, which are used in products like pillow covers and curtains designed by the Calvin Klein firm.

The MHAC, along with other Aklan-based companies involved in fiber production, source their sinamay, abaca, and raffia within the province, specifically from Libacao, Malinao, and Madalag towns, including agrarian reform communities (ARCs) that were established through the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

"Whenever we have meetings, we always make it a point to make the people, including the local government, farmers, everyone, conscious of efforts to prevent the occurrence of the virus," Legaspi said.

Legaspi also revealed that they have already registered with the Intellectual Property Office and secured a quality seal for Aklan fiber products two years ago.

"We are now in the process of developing a unified quality control system for the whole province of Aklan to sustain this (virus-free) status," she added.

Data provided by Legaspi showed that the entire workforce of the fiber industry in Aklan consists of 9,486 workers. Total investments were pegged at P3.3 million.

Aklan fiber manufacturers have penetrated markets in the United States, Japan, Italy, France, China, Malaysia, Canada, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

Abaca fiber registered the highest export sales to the US, amounting to $106,669 per year. Domestically, total sales of abaca fiber products reached P33.6 million.

Piña and silk products, meanwhile, have domestic sales of P40.753 million and export sales to the US of $30,407, while raffia-based products have domestic sales of P4 million and export sales of $30,200.