Directory_and_Chronicle_1924 — Page 1524

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

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Gold and coal are still the two leading mineral products of the islands. In quartz. mining, the Benguet and Masbate districts have been consistent producers for a number of years. In the dredging field new operations have recently begun in the Lianga district of eastern Mindanao, in addition to the well known Paracale district. The native furnaces of Bulacan continue to be the only source of iron production. Other metallic deposits worthy of consideration are the copper of Mancayan and Suyoc ; iron of Surigao and Calambayanga Island; manganese of Ilocos Norte and Masbate; and lead and zinc of Masbate and Marinduque.

Coal is being produced from Cebu, Mindanao and Batan. A cement plant is being erected in Cebu by a company subsidized by the Philippine Government and promised to start operations in 1923. Exploratory drilling for petroleum in Bondoc Peninsula has been under way now for over two years. Several geological exploration leases for petroleum have also been taken up in Leyte. Other non-metallic deposits undergoing development are the bituminous rock of Leyte, asbestos of Ilocos Norte, and the guano and phosphate rock deposits of Capiz.

FORESTS

Timber forests are found in all the principal islands of the archipelago, covering an area of about 76,000 sq. miles, or 67 per cent. of the total area. Not less than 65,000 sq. miles are commercial forests. These forests contain some of the finest timber in the world, especially for cabinet work. Many species of the Dipterocarp family are used as substitute for mahogany and are sold in foreign markets as Philippine mahogany. Minor forest products, such as rattan, copal gum, tanbark, dyebark, and dyewood are abundant.

The Government owns more than 99 per cent. of all the standing timber of the Philippines, and the Bureau of Forestry has control over them. The public forests are not sold, but are developed under a license system. To-day there are 48 steam sawmills, which are equipped with modern machinery fit to meet the big lumber enterprise of the Islands.

FISHERIES

Fishing is a promising industry in the Philippines. The waters along the coasts of the islands teem with common varieties of food fishes. Among those found in commercial quantites are anchovies, herrings, silversides, mackerels, snappers, pompanos, sea-basses, mullets, milkfishes, sardines, lapolapos, barracudas, porgies, grunts, parrot-fishes, and soldier-fishes. The local market, however, is under-supplied, as only inshore fishing is carried on because modern equipment adapted to deep-water fishing is not used. Other sea-products found in Philippine waters are oysters, sponges, trepang, pearls and pearl shells, top shells and window shells.

MANUFACTURES AND INDUSTRIES

The Philippines is a prospective industrial field. The country has available raw materials such as Manila hemp, copra, lumber, shells, lumbang and castor seeds, clay, limestone, bamboo, buutal, dye-woods and cassava for the different lines of manufac- tures and industries. Manila and a few other cities are centres of these industrial 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 and 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 than 460 rice mills, with a maximum daily capacity of 50,000 cavanes, distributed throughout the archipelago.

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