Gov’t uniforms will soon be made of native fabrics

It’s official: Government officials and employees will, in the immediate future, wear uniforms made of Philippine tropical fabrics.

This is stipulated in Republic Act 9242 which President Arroyo signed last Feb. 10.

RA 9242, which prescribes the use of Philippine tropical fabrics for uniforms of public officials and employees and for other purposes, is a consolidation of House Bill No. 5977 and Senate Bill No. 2637 which were passed on Nov. 20 and Oct. 27 last year, respectively.

Dr. Carlos Tomboc, director of the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) under the Department of Science and Technology, said the law gave the commercialization of Philippine tropical fabrics, a major research and development effort of the DOST, a "much-needed impetus."

According to RA 9242, it is the government’s policy to "promote the preferential use of locally manufactured goods that utilize local resources, adopt measures that help make them competitive and thus, generate wider employment and greater benefits to the country."

Tropical fabrics are defined as those containing natural fibers produced, spun, woven or knitted, and finished in the Philippines.

Under the new law, Philippine tropical fabrics used for the uniforms of government officials and employees and for other government purposes shall be purchased from local sources.

The Civil Service Commission, in coordination with the DOST, Department of Agriculture and Department of Trade and Industry and in consultation with the private sector, shall promulgate the rules to implement RA 9242 consistent with the sector’s viable development plan.

P60-M Allotment

For the law’s initial implementation, P60 million from the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) fund will be allotted to the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) for the promotion and commercial production of plant fibers and continuing research on improved extraction of plant fibers.

Thereafter, funding needed for RA 9242’s continued implementation will be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

The PTRI has so far conducted researches on pre-treatment technologies for abaca, banana, pineapple, kenar and maguey fibers.

Tomboc said technology has been developed to blend polyester and natural fibers into woven material, thus making products affordable, easier to maintain and still have the character of natural fibers.

PTRI has also come up with a biofinishing treatment that gives these fabrics better appearance, softness and handling.

Once RA 9242 is implemented, an estimated 1.4 million government employees will be using these tropical fabrics. This assures the local industry of a captive market equivalent to a fiber requirement of 571 metric tons for pineapple, 691 MT for banana and 627 MT for abaca fibers for just one set of uniforms containing 20 percent indigenous fiber blend.

The conversion of any of these fibers into yarns and finished fabrics could generate revenues of P126.5 million for pineapple, P122.8 million for banana and P110.1 million for abaca fiber processing.

Tomboc said additional jobs will be generated for the agricultural and industrial sectors, including garment makers, handloom weavers and fiber converters.