The Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) and private groups are setting up 40 stripping centers nationwide in order to sustain the country’s leadership in abaca supply specially through abaca's application in the global automotive industry.

This public-private group is putting up the 40 stripping centers in several abaca-dominated regions in the Philippines, according to Engr. Petronilo Jabay, FIDA Extension Services chief, in an interview.

These are among Philippines' top abaca fiber-producers where the stripping centers may be needed: Bicol which produced 113,127 bales (125 kilos per bale) from January to Septeber this year; Eastern Visayas (Samar, Leyte), 77,666 bales; Davao Region, 34,363 bales; Caraga (Agusan, Surigao), 19,781 bales; Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (Lanao, Cotabato, Sulu, Maguindanao, Basilan, Tawi Tawi), 19,661 bales; and Northern Mindanao (Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental), 11,983 bales.

The establishment of stripping centers, among other factors, is critical to the abaca industry's ability to supply the requirement of the automotive industry specially as Germany intends to make all Germany-made cars made of as much natural fibers as possible.

The Philippines suffered from a slump in abaca exports – mostly fiber, pulp, and cordage – in the first nine months of the year. FIDA economists attribute this to the global recession since abaca is consumed mostly by developed countries hit by the recession.

Abaca pulp export was down to 8,592 MT, declining by 31.6 percent from 12,553 MT in the same period last year while fiber export was only at 35,447 bales, down by a hefty 55.4 percent from last year.

A support to the German car industry would require the mass production of disease-free abaca seedlings, ecological growing of abaca in different agro-ecosystems, development of portable abaca stripping machine and of efficient dryer, and the establishment of village-level abaca processing center, according to Leyte State University College of Engineering and Agri-Industries Dean Roberto C. Guarte.

The Philippines has been partnering for several years now with funders Daimler Chrysler of Germany and German Development and Investment Foundation (DEG) of Germany on the use of abaca fiber in German cars.

Abaca's application in vehicles are for filling materials for bolster, interior trim parts, dampings, parcel tray, and hat rack. New applications are for the exterior semi-structure components where abaca can be used as substitute for glass fiber in reinforced plastic components.

The substitution of fiber glass with abaca is possible as abaca is the closest in strength to fiber glass (around 1,750 megapascals or MPa) with around 1,100 MPa compared to other natural fibers like flax or hemp of Europe (around 960 MPa), sisal of South Africa (around 810 MPa), and Curaua of Brazil (around 1,080 MPa). When it comes to price, abaca is still cheaper than sisal and flax.

Guarte explained that a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) on abaca for automotive use will create new source of subsistence for farmers, tap use of ecologically sound abaca, raise output of high-quality abaca, and and transfer knowledge in propagating disease-free abaca seedlings.

The PPP will produce portable abaca stripping machines and make these accessible even in the mountains and will promote stripping of abaca fiber in the field and the use of abaca waste as organic fertilizer.

This will promote environmental protection as abaca fiber promotes carbon neutrality, requires low energy input for production, does not require water for extraction, and controls erosion and promotes biodiversity development in former monoculture plantations and rainforest areas.

The PPP will help solve problems on limited seedling production (of only 15 seedlings from one mother plant per year), non-uniform fiber sizes from manual stripping machines, and exposure of fibers to rain during drying which reduces fiber quality.

Use of centralized drying using a modular greenhouse-type of solar dryer will improve fiber quality. LSU already has a centralized processing center with solar dryers.

The PPP will produce high-quality seedlings through micropropagation, rooting, acclimatization, and hardening of seedlings. From this, a numerous 10,000 seedlings will be produced from one explant per year.