Philippine is a major producer of bananas. It is an important fruit crop that takes a major part in the market. Bananas are consumed by locals and internationals and add it to the ingredients on their recipes and others. Bananas are a healthy fruit which contains important nutrients like potassium that can help lower high blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease.

Mindanao is the top producer of bananas in the Philippines, but in 2012 the Typhoon Pablo left a huge damage on the production. During the recovery state,other affecting factors such as pest, disease, and changing weather patterns have affected the recoveries. The country regained being at the top 2 of protection of bananas in 2017.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority that “For the period of October to December 2020, banana production was estimated at 2.40 million metric tons. It was 0.4 percent higher than the 2.39 million metric tons posted in the same period of 2019. Cavendish varieties had the highest production of 1.21 million metric tons, which shared 50.4 percent to the total banana production. This was followed by saba variety with 28.5 percent share.Davao Region remained as the top banana producer with 846.23 thousand metric tons or 35.3 percent share to the total production this quarter. This was followed by Northern Mindanao and SOCCSKSARGEN with respective shares of 21.0 percent and 14.5 percent.”

To increase the production and to help the Filipinos to generate income, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has established a Banana Propagation Project to the individuals that belongs to the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer for Indigenous People (MCCTIP) under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s)..

In 2020, the Municipality of Sofronio Española, 200 individuals were given 25 cultured banana plants of lakatan and saba. There were also banana seedlings given to the 53 individuals from Barangay Abo-Abo, 38 from Brgy. Panitian, and 105 sa Brgy. Labog based from their 4P’s Office within the town. Monitoring and intervention was made by the 4P’s to the beneficiaries of the Banana Propagation recently to observe improvements and other factors that affect the development.

Project Development Officer II of the 4P’s in Sofronio Española, Marieta Rafael said that “Based on our evaluation po ay marami na ang nakakapag harvest ng kanilang saging, ang ilan naman po ay growing palang po pero napakinabangan na at medyo nagkaroon na ng kita sa pamamagitan nitong proyekto para sa kanila.”

“Tinutulungan po tayo ng MAO at DSWD for them sa proyekto na ito,alam naman natin na magaling ang mga katutubo sa ganitong sistema ng pagtatanim,alam naman natin na may mga talagang ito ang income nila,at hoping po na makatulong talaga ito sa kanila,” she added.

The Municipal Agricultural Office(MAO) will continue to give agricultural training for the individuals to learn more knowledge in planting and taking care of the bananas.