Banana shortage hits La Castellana

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan of La Castellana, Negros Occidental said there is shortage of sab-a, a banana species used to produce sab-a sticks (a local delicacy that is slowly making a name in the food production industry).

Mangilimutan said because of the shortage, they cannot keep up with the demand for sab-a sticks in Negros, Luzon, and Mindanao as well.

She said she has already communicated with the Sangguniang Bayan to come up with an ordinance to regulate the “exporting” of sab-a outside the town.

She added that sab-a is grown in the backyard by local farmers and they cannot even keep up with the demand for sab-a sticks production.

“We need to regulate selling of sab-a outside the locality,” Mangilimutan said.

Mangilimutan said she is also searching for a potential sab-a plantation to address the shortage.

For now Mangilimutan said the two producers in the town buy sab-a in Canlaon City and adjacent areas.