Plastic for peso bills opposed

CEBU, Philippines - Board Member Victor Maambong is opposing the move of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to replace with synthetic polymer plastic the abaca fiber used in currency notes.

Maambong, chairman of the Provincial Board’s committee on environment and natural resources, said the move of BSP is “afoul” with the government’s agricultural productivity program.

“The plan would run afoul with agricultural productivity program of the government since it would result in the death of the production of abaca,” Maambong said in his proposed resolution.

At present, peso notes are based mainly on durable special paper made out of abaca fiber tissue and cotton.

Maambong said the move would also result to economic dislocation of abaca farmers, as many depend on abaca for livelihood and employment in many provinces across the country.

Some 136,000 hectares nationwide are planted with abaca with over 82,000 farmers directly subsist on abaca production.

They produce some 70,000 metric tons of fiber annually, of which about 25 percent is exported, according to the Fiber Industry Development Authority.

The BSP has justified its planned shift by arguing that polymer, while more expensive, also lasts longer — even longer than paper produced from abaca, the world’s sturdiest natural fiber.

But Maambong questioned the friendliness of the BSP’s plan to the environment.

“The proposal, if so implemented, is at war with the global paradigm that has petrified into an immovable dogma of reduce, reuses and recycle since many polymers, especially the synthetic variety, are non-biodegradable and cannot easily be recycled,” Maambong said.

Abaca is a species of banana native to the Philippines and cultivated in 26 provinces including Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao. After Catanduanes, the other top producers of abaca are Southern Leyte, Leyte, Davao Oriental, Northern Samar, Davao del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Samar, Sulu and Sorsogon.

The abaca plant grows 20 feet tall and is harvested mainly for its large leaves and stems that produce the natural fiber.

Used to make twines, ropes and carpets, the abaca fiber also has multiple applications as raw material for various functional and decorative products, as well as in clothing material and handicraft like bags and baskets.

The pulp is processed into tea bags, coffee filter, vacuum cleaner bags, currency notes and other specialty paper. — Garry B. Lao/JMO (THE FREEMAN)