Directory_and_Chronicle_1940 — Page 1707

THE PHILIPPINES

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The production of coconut oil constitutes one of the principal local industries. The first modern coconut oil mill was built in 1911. The world-war gave an im- petus to the industry, thereby placing coconut oil at the top of the list of Philippine exports for 1919. Sugar production, however, is now the most important industry. 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 country. Consequently, after 1910 a considerable increase in the sugar exports of the Philippines was noted. In 1937, 47 sugar centrals with a total daily output of over 1,014,007 tons of centrifugal sugar were in actual operation. Manila cigars and cigarettes are the output of Philippine cigar factories. Aromatic cigarettes made from Virginian leaf tobacco locally raised or imported are now manufactured in the Philippines. 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 3,200 rice mills, with a maximum daily capacity of 348,000 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 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 inixed with mercerized cotton or the native abaca, piña and maguey fibres, and the "Abel Iloco" or Ilocano cloth manufactured in the Ilocos 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. 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, buntal, buri, sabutan and pandan.

The other industries of the country worth mentioning include shipbuilding, foun- dries and machine shops, the making of shoes and slippers, desiccated cocoanut, cement, refined sugar, pearl buttons, cutch, canned pineapple, wooden and wicker furniture, soap, vegetable lard, margarine, butter, starch, paint, leather, toilet articles and other pharmaceutical preparations, matches, salt and pots, besides the aerated water and mineral water factories, Among the potential industries are paper making, gold and chromite mining, glass, perfume, alcohol distilleries and beer, wine and liquor factories, caustic soda, rug 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 intended for the protection and advancement of labour's interests and for mutual help. The first labour organization established in the Philippines 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 1937 a total of 65 such organizations with 77 branches throughout the Philippines and a paid membership of 31,363 were in existence in the Archipelago, the majority of them being located in the city of Manila. In the Philippines there are three national labour organizations controlling the majority of trade unions and other organizations, viz., Congreso Obrero de Filipinas (Labour Congress of the Philippines), Federacion del Trabajo de Filipinas (Federation of Labour of the Philippines) and the National Confederation of Tenants and Farm Labourers of the Philippines.