Abaca

  Botanical Name: Musa Textilis
  Also known as: Manila Hemp

Abaca is one of the biggest exports of the Philippines. A natural resource of the Philippines, it is famous for its high tensile strength and versatility. It is likewise preferred because it is bio-degradable and environment friendly.

The abaca tree is a member of the banana plant with its stalk as the main source of the abaca fiber. All parts of the stalk, from the outer dark layer to the inner most can be extracted, stripped and processed into different products.

Before any product using the abaca can be made, the abaca stalk undergoes several processing stages that are done mostly by hand. The abaca plant is harvested, stripped, dried and graded to produce the fibers. The fibers are then further processed depending on its intended final product.

We, at Rodima, use abaca to produce hand made crafts from textiles to home décor.