Strong fiber stripped from the abaca plant, a relative of the banana. The Philippines produces most of the world’s abaca, used in ropes, specialty…
Natural fibers: woven from the land
Woven from the land: Philippine natural fibers
Abaca, piña, banana fiber, buri and bamboo: 7 products made from Philippine natural fibers, from raw fiber to sinamay and piña cloth, and who makes them near you. Bamboo fiber and textiles are on the Bamboo page.
Looking for bamboo fiber and textiles? See them on the Bamboo page →
What’s made from each part of the natural fibers
1Abaca Abaka
Abaca pulp makes tough, porous papers: tea bags, coffee filters, currency and security paper. Handmade abaca paper is also sold for crafts and gift…
Sinamay is a loosely woven abaca fabric used for hats, fascinators, bags and décor. Abaca is also made into rope, twine, rugs and furniture…
2Piña (pineapple leaf) Piña
Fine, glossy fiber scraped from pineapple leaves. It is slow, skilled work, and the source of the Philippines’ most prized handwoven cloth.
Sheer, elegant handwoven cloth for barong Tagalog, Filipiniana and fine accessories. Piña-seda blends piña with silk to make it more affordable.
3Banana fiber Hibla ng saging
Fiber from the trunks (pseudostems) of banana plants after the fruit is harvested: farm waste turned into yarn, fabric, rope, paper and crafts.
4Buri, raffia and other fibers Buri at iba pa
Fiber and strips from buri palm and other plants, woven into mats, bags, hats, raffia and décor. Light, natural and popular for export and…
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