Business Mirror By Jovee Marie de la Cruz November 3, 2020 The House Committee on Agriculture and Food on Tuesday approved three bills declaring the Province of Catanduanes as the abaca capital of the Philippines, City of Davao as the chocolate and cacao production capital of the Philippines and the municipality of San Jose in Batangas as the egg basket of the Philippines. During the committee hearing presided by House Committee on Agriculture and Food Vice Chairman Francisco Benitez, members of the panel approved House Bill 6149 for Catanduanes, HB 7460 for Davao City and HB 7660 for the Municipality of San Jose in Batangas. The three bills will now be transmitted to the plenary for another round of deliberations.

Largest producer of abaca

TGP Party-list Rep. Jose Teves Jr. said he filed his HB 6149 to give the province of Catanduanes its proper title by being the largest producer of abaca fiber in the country. Citing the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (Philfida) in 2019, Teves said Catanduanes remained as the top producer of the natural plant fiber in the entire country. “Considering Catanduanes as the top producer of abaca product in the Philippines, it highly contributed in the standing of the country as the world’s largest producer of Abaca, supplying 87 percent of the world’s requirement in natural fiber,” he said. “Abaca is also considered as the primary product of Catanduanes as the Catandunganons are widely known in producing high quality fibers which are patronized not only in the Philippines but also internationally. In fact, the province is celebrating every fourth week of May of every year the Catanduanes Abaca Festival,” he added. The lawmaker said the main source of livelihood of the greater population living in Catanduanes is farming and production of abaca, which constitutes 12,679 abaca farmers of total 33,097 hectares of abaca lands in 11 abaca producing municipalities.

World-class chocolate

For his part, Deputy Speaker Conrado Estrella III said he filed his HB 7469 as Davao City has gained international recognition for producing world-class chocolate products. He said the Davao City-based Malagos Chocolate won for the country the honor of winning second place for its 100 percent unsweetened dark chocolate drink category, and third place for in the sweetened dark chocolates category in the international chocolate competition conducted in 2017 by the Academy of Chocolate in London. To date, he added, Malagos has won seven major international awards for its chocolate products, thereby earning for the country international recognition as a world- class chocolate producer. “The City of Davao and the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley produce at least 81 percent of the country’s total cacao production,” he said. “The success of Davao City-based Malagos Chocolate and the high cacao production in Davao City and contiguous provinces gives the Philippines a competitive advantage in high-quality chocolate and cacao production in the Asian region,” he said. Estrella said his bill seeks to recognize the achievement of Davao City in attaining high volumes of quality cacao production and in producing high-quality chocolate products that gained for the country international recognition as well as opening a new frontier for higher trade and economic productivity in the country that can generate more employment, provide higher incomes and improve the quality of life of our people, especially in the countryside.

Egg basket

For her part, Batangas Rep. Lianda Bolilia said the Municipality of San Jose should be recognized as the “Egg Basket of the Philippines” for generating about 7 million eggs per day. Bolilia, citing Batangas Egg Producers Association (BAEPA), said Batangas has an estimated 30 million daily chicken egg production with San Jose, Batangas as leading egg producer. She said the town has 342 registered independent poultry farms as of June 2020. In recognition of San Jose’s booming egg industry, the town launched the country’s first “World Egg Day Celebration” on October 18, 2018. On August 28, 2020, the lawmaker said Agriculture Secretary William Dar signed an executive order declaring San Jose as the “Egg Processing Capital of the Philippines.” “San Jose’s poultry production continues to provide higher incomes for farm owners, generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, bring revenues to the local government, and produce a staple food for the country. As the town’s egg industry continues to modernize, its significant contribution to food security of the country cannot be ignored. Thus, by declaring the Municipality of San Jose, Province Batangas, as the Egg Basket of the Philippines, we are recognizing the achievement and the industriousness of San Jose and its people,” she added.