Abaca Festival
The Abaca Festival, formally known as Catanduanes Abaka Festival, is an annual festival held in Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines during the fourth week of May. It celebrates the abacá fiber, the Manila hemp industry, and the resilient spirit and culture of Catanduanes.
Background
Catanduanes Island is the native habitat of the endemic abacá plant, which is cultivated for its strong fiber. Philippine Fiber Industry and Development Authority declared Catanduanes as the highest abacá producing province in 2010. Between 2009 and 2013, The Philippine Rural Development Program and the Department of Agriculture reported that Bicol Region produced 39% of Philippine abacá, while Catanduanes produced 92%.On April 15, 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11700, declaring Catanduanes as the abacá capital of the Philippines.