Abacá (/ɑːbəˈkɑː/ ah-bə-KAH; Filipino: abaka [ɐbɐˈka]), also known as Manila hemp, is a species of banana, Musa textilis, endemic to the Philippines.

[4][5][6] The lustrous fiber is traditionally hand-loomed into various indigenous textiles (abaca cloth or medriñaque) in the Philippines.

They are still featured prominently as the traditional material of the barong tagalog, the national male attire of the Philippines, as well as in sheer lace-like fabrics called nipis used in various clothing components.

[1] Cutting and transplanting rooted runners is the primary technique for creating new plants, since seed growth is substantially slower.

[13] Genetic analysis by Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) revealed several clusters irrespective of geographical origin.

[13] Before synthetic textiles came into use, M. textilis was a major source of high quality fiber: soft, silky and fine.

[14] Ancestors of the modern abacá are thought to have originated from the eastern Philippines, where there is significant rainfall throughout the year.

Wild varieties of abacá can still be found in the interior forests of the island province of Catanduanes, away from cultivated areas.

For many years, breeders from various research institutions have made the cultivated varieties of Catanduanes even more competitive in local and international markets.

[16] Europeans first came into contact with Abacá fibre when Ferdinand Magellan landed in the Philippines in 1521, as the natives were already cultivating it and utilizing it in bulk for textiles.

[18] In fact, from 1850 through the end of the 19th century, sugar or abacá alternated with each other as the biggest export crop of the Philippines.

[18] This 19th-century trade was predominantly with the United States and the making of ropes was done mainly in New England, although in time rope-making shifted back to the Philippines.

The Guggenheim claims the "colonial government found ways to prevent Filipinos from profiting off of the abaca crops, instead favoring the businesses of American expats and Japanese immigrants, as well as ensuring that the bulk of the abaca harvests were exported to the United States" for use in military initiatives.

[19] In the early 1900s, a train running from Danao to Argao would transport Philippine abacá from the plantations to Cebu City for export.

[20] The railway system was destroyed during World War II; the abaca continues to be transported to Cebu by road.

[11] Commercial planting began in 1930 in British North Borneo; at the onset of World War II, the supply from the Philippines was eliminated by the Empire of Japan.

[22] After the war, the U.S. Department of Agriculture started production in Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala.

[25]In Costa Rica, more modern harvest and drying techniques are being developed to accommodate the very high yields obtained there.

Around 42 percent of the total abacá fiber shipments from the Philippines went to the United Kingdom in 2014, making it the top importer.

[35] Abacá fibers were traditionally woven into sturdy textiles and clothing in the Philippines since pre-colonial times.

Undyed plain abacá cloth, woven from fine fibers of abaca, is generally known as sinamáy in most of the islands.

); black from ebony (knalum or batulinao) leaves; red from noni roots and sapang; yellow from turmeric (kalawag, kuning, etc.

These were paired with wraparound sarong-like skirts (for both men and women), close-fitting pants, or loincloths (bahag).

A major disadvantage in this shrinkage is that many knots made with manila rope became harder and more difficult to untie when wet, thus becoming subject of increased stress.