The philippine fiber industry development authority (philfida) is expanding its survey and mapping of abaca farms to other areas of southern leyte after completing its initial fieldwork covering 1:he Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) is expanding its survey and mapping of abaca farms to other areas of Southern Leyte after completing its initial fieldwork covering 1,250 farmers and more than 2,657 hectares of farmland in Sogod town. PhilFIDA Eastern Visayas Regional Director Joseph Salas said in a phone interview Wednesday that the survey team will proceed to Bontoc and Maasin City as the agency works to establish a comprehensive profile of abaca farmers and an updated geospatial database of fibercrop areas across the province.
According to Philippines News Agency, the expansion is part of the National Fibercrop Survey and Mapping Project (NFSMP), a nationwide initiative aimed at generating updated baseline data to support evidence-based planning and targeted interventions to sustain the country's natural fiber industry. The survey team was deployed in Southern Leyte in March 2026 and has so far completed its work in Sogod, covering 2,657.34 hectares of total farm area, including 1,170.09 hectares identified as fibercrop areas.
The field survey documented 923,502 abaca hills and 839.63 hectares of effectively planted area. It also identified 15,772 abaca hills affected by disease. 'The target is to cover 5,000 hectares this year. Data validation and consolidation are ongoing and are expected to be completed in the coming weeks to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information gathered,' Salas told the Philippine News Agency.
He said the data gathered in Sogod will provide a clearer picture of the municipality's abaca production areas and the conditions faced by farmers, information that can help guide government programs and interventions as the survey expands to other areas. 'The participation of local farmer guides has been crucial to the survey's implementation. The guides assist enumerators in locating farms, identifying property boundaries, and validating information gathered in the field,' Salas said.
The agency also acknowledged the support of local government units, partner agencies, barangay officials, farmer guides, and abaca farmers in Southern Leyte, noting that their cooperation has helped ensure the efficient and accurate conduct of the field survey. Salas said the continuing survey will help PhilFIDA build a more complete picture of the province's abaca industry, including the location of production areas, the number of farmers engaged in fiber production, and challenges affecting farm productivity.
The initiative is part of the Department of Agriculture's continuing efforts to strengthen the Philippine fiber industry and PhilFIDA's drive to modernize the country's natural fiber database. For 2026, the NFSMP is being implemented in the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions, covering a combined target of 6,300 hectares with a total budget of PHP5.04 million. The project will continue its expansion in 2027, covering the remaining provinces of Eastern Visayas with a target area of 20,000 hectares.
The expanded survey is expected to provide local and national policymakers with more reliable geospatial and farmer-level data that can serve as a basis for planning programs, directing resources, and strengthening support for the region's abaca industry.
