Abaca School Bag Production Pushed in Leyte for Livelihood

The Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) is pushing for the production of abaca school bags in Leyte as part of an effort to revitalize the region's handicrafts and provide alternative livelihoods. Joseph Salas, PhilFIDA Eastern Visayas Regional Director, stated in a phone interview on Monday that a training of trainers for school bag making was completed in Southern Leyte from September 1 to 4. A similar rollout is scheduled for Leyte from September 8 to 11. "The capacity-building activity aimed not only to develop participants’ skills in producing abaca-based products, but also to establish a pool of trainers capable of sharing these skills with communities across Leyte provinces and other parts of Eastern Visayas," Salas said. The agency tapped experts from Antique for the 25 trainers to learn more about various stages of abaca school bag production, including design, assembly, finishing and quality control. They completed the required outputs and produced durable and functional school bags using locally produced abaca twine. The newly trained participants now form an additional pool of abaca handicraft trainers who can help bring skills development closer to fiber-producing communities. The agency will roll out that training with the support of local government units. Southern Leyte is the top producer of abaca in Eastern Visayas. In 2024, the province logged a 1,457 metric tons (MT) yield. Leyte ranks third with 606.16 MT output. Abaca, commonly known as Manila hemp, holds significant economic importance in the region.