Abaca (Abaka), binomial name is MUSA TEXTILIS, a species of banana native to the Philippines, also known as Manila Hemp. The fiber was originally known for its strength as it is considered to be the
strongest among natural fibers.
Philippines has been producing Abaca for centuries long before the Spaniards colonization (1521), as the natives were cultivating it and utilizing it in bulk for textiles already. It has been found growing virtually all types of soils and climate in the Philippines but mostly found in areas where the solid is volcanic in origin which is rich in organic matter (e.g. potassium, calcium, and magnesium), loose, friable, and well drained clay loam type with temperature between 20°C and 25°C.
