Manila hemp (Musa textilis), or abaca, which is endemic to the Philippines, is a banana species that is different from the common hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Originally, the plant was cultivated to make twines and ropes for maritime use; today, its diversified uses include specialized paper, car upholstery, banknotes, textile, stylized bags, decorations, and tea bags, to name just a few.
Early foreign visitors observed that the plant, which could be found from Mindanao to certain regions of Luzon, can only be grown in areas “between the equator and 20 [degrees North].” This makes the plant unsuitable for cultivation in European climate. On the average it grows to a height of 9-12 feet, six inches in thickness, with its leaves colored dark green and measuring eight feet in length and one and a half feet in width.
Historically, the first account of the use of abacá in the country was given by William Dampier, an English explorer who recorded as the plant banana textoria and described it as edible and producing fiber. Antonio Pigafetta, the Venetian diarist of Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan, is also credited for having documented first seen the abaca but did not mention it specifically in his accounts.
The first sample of abaca that reached the U.S. was in 1820. It was brought to Salem, Massachusetts by John White, a U.S. Navy lieutenant. Over the next few years, from 1824 to 1827, the hemp started to be used popularly for ropes and cords, especially as twines for docked vessels. Production of abaca for export did not start until 1818 with a fiber extraction of 41 tons. From there, the exports rose dramatically to 500 tons in 1830, reaching 8,502 tons a decade later, and around 8,000 tons in 1850 at the time, when hemp became a global commodity. Between 1850 and 1860, export rose from 8,561 tons to 30,388 tons, and a decade later, production hit 31,426 tons. From 1870 to 1900 the export records show a delivery of 89,438 tons, the equivalent of 20,000 tons in increase compared to the previous decades.
The decade from 1850 to 1860 also showed an increase of from 8,561 tons to 30,388 tons; while that from 1860 to 1870 registered an appreciation of from 30,388 to 31,426, or only 1,100 tons. From 1870 until 1900, the exports rose from 31,426 tons to 89,438 tons, with an average increase of about 20,000 tons in each decade. A 1907 government report expressed optimism of the growth of hemp in Davao:
“The production of abaca in this region [Davao] is still increasing, which is proved by the fact that three or four steamers come here regularly for cargoes of the fiber. In all the towns on the Gulf of Davao new clearings are being made, which will be planted first with rice and, after that is harvested, with abaca (thus getting rid of all undergrowth), while sweet potatoes will be placed between the abaca plants.”
A compilation of official figures made by Murab Saleeby in 1915 covering the years 1900-1914, which is a length of 15 years, shows that abaca export from the Philippines to all countries during this period reached 1,940,311 metric tons with a value of US$276,237,942. The hemp export average was 51.19 percent, and the average local value per ton in the period studied was US$145.70 per metric ton.
During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1913, the total land area cultivated with abacá in the islands reached 909,849 acres, distributed as follows: Albay, 219,155; Camarines, 171,018; Sorsogon, 157,815; Leyte, 110,948; Samar, 68,143; Moro [Mindanao], 48,254; Misamis, 35,167; Surigao, 14,376; and other provinces, 84,973.
In 1920, occasioned by the expanding American interest, the fertile lands of Davao became a plantation region. During this period the entire province had 6,646 haciendas, with an average area ranging from seven to 208 hectares, covering 110,628 hectares in 15 townships and municipal districts, 30.8% of which were cultivated, and the remainder undeveloped. The largest concentration of farms was in Cateel (2,337 hectares), followed by Caraga (825 hectares), and Baganga (705 hectares). These were part of the old encomienda of the defunct Province of Caraga.
Other towns and districts that hosted plantations were Davao, with 414 hectares; Guianga, 76; Manay, 387; Mati, 505; Malita, 68; Monkayo, 146; Pantukan, 217; Samal, 132; Sigaboy, 356; Santa Cruz, 430; Tagum, 39; and Kapalong, 9. Helping till these lands were 5,530 carabaos. Agricultural lands, meanwhile, were classified into two regions: (1) the area in northern Davao drained by the Agusan River and its numerous tributaries, and (2) the watershed of Saug, Libuganon, Tagum, and Hijo Rivers at the head of Davao Gulf and on the west and south sectors to the area of Mt. Apo and Malalag Bay on the west, and east of the gulf to Mapanga Bay.
In 1925, large-scale cultivation of the hemp was reported in Sumatra under Dutch supervision, followed by Central American (1929), and British North Borneo (1930).
