Directory_and_Chronicle_1923 — Page 1475

1406

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

activities. However, some of the big establishments such as sugar centrals, rice and lumber mills are found in localities nearest the sources of materials.

The production of coconut oil constitutes one of the principal local industries. The first modern coconut oil mill was built in 1906. The recent world-war gave an impetus to the industry, thereby placing coconut oil at the top of the list of Philippine exports for 1919. The first sugar central in the Philippines was established in 1910. Many other centrals and improved machinery were then installed in almost all the leading sugar sections of the Islands. Consequently, after 1910 a considerable increase in the sugar exports of the Islands was noted. Early in 1920 more than 30 sugar centrals with a total daily output of over 20,000 tons of centrifugal sugar were in actual operation. Manila cigars, ranking with the best and choicest cigars in the world to-day, together with cigarettes are the output of Philippine cigar factories. The rope and hemp braid factories are yearly turning out finished products to the value of millions of pesos. Within recent years, rice milling has become a principal local industry. To-day there are more then 460 rice mills, with a maximum daily capacity of 50,000 cavanes, distributed throughout the archipelago,

71

Among the local household industries, mention may be made of weaving, embroi- dery and hat-making. The output of the simple native looms, which are found in practically every household in the provinces where weaving is done, increased as the industry found an ever-widening local market. The most important of these native cloths manufactured are the "sinamay" and the "abatex," both of which are made mostly from the abaca fibre, the "piña" made from the pineapple fibre, the “ "jusi made from imported gummed spun silk fibres in threads mixed with mercerized cotton or the native abaca, piña and maguey fibres, and the "Abel Iloco" or Ilocano cloth manufactured in the Iloco provinces from both native and imported cotton threads. Philippine hand-made embroideries are of cotton and linen; no silk is used. The materials chiefly used in the making of Philippine embroideries are nainsooks, batiste, voile, georgette, crepe de chine and net-cotton. These materials are imported from the United States. The principal articles of embroideries made are lingerie, children's clothes, handkerchiefs, table cloths and underwear of various classes, which are for the most part prepared according to orders received from the United States. The work done is of a very good grade and brings good prices. The total value of embroid- eries exported in 1921 was P10,696,207, the greatest bulk thereof being sent to the United States. On account of the abundance of suitable local materials for hat- making and the excellent prices offered for Philippine hats, the manufacture of hats is a profitable industry. Philippine hats are made from native materials such as bamboo, huntal, buri, sabutan and pandan. In 1921, hats to the value of P1,575,124 were exported, chiefly to the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and France.

The minor industries of the Islands include shipbuilding, foundries and machine shops, the making of shoes, soap, matches, salt and pots, besides the aerated water and mineral water factories, Among the potential industries are the cement, leather, button, glass, perfume, starch, caustic soda and coir mat industries.

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

The economic development of the Philippines has brought in its train the formation of many trade unions, organizations and mutual benefit societies for the protection and advancement of labour's interests and for mutual help. The first labour organization established in the Islands was "Union Obrera Democratica" (Democratic Labour Union) on February 2nd, 1902, in the city of Manila. Subsequently, the formation of labour organizations was given greater impetus as the workers were stimulated by the success attained in dealing collectively with their employers in their demand for higher wages and better working conditions, until at the end of 1921 a total of 101 such organizations with a paid membership of 61,935 were in existence in the whole Archipelago, the majority of them being located in the city of Manila. In the Philippines there are two national labour organizations controlling the majority of trade unions and other organizations, viz., Congreso Obrero de Filipinas (Labour Congress of the Philippines) and Federacion del Trabaj de Filipinas (Federation of Labour of the Philippines). In the last inspection made in 17 provinces and the City of Manila by the Bureau of Labour there were 106,199 workers employed in a total of 5,939 centres of labour.