Authors:Defo, L; Persoon, G; Aquino, D.M
Abstract:For generations, rattan has been an integral pan of the culture of the people in the Philippines. After 1970s, the rattan sector grew as a major eommercial enterprise with many impressive achievements: hundreds of thousands of workers involved in various stages of the production-consumption system; consumption ofover 200 million linear meters of rattan annually; well established market links throughout the world and export revenues worth US$ 241 million generated in 1994. These indicators have placed the Philippines amongst the world's leading countries in the domain. However, during recent years the rattan sector in the country has been passing through a critical phase. Depletion of the resource base and shortage in raw material supply, increased rattan imports. decline in its world market due to competition and aggressive marketing performances from neighbouring countries have been the major reasons for the setback in rattan sector of the country.
Keywords:canes and rattans; economic indicators; enterprises; exports; imports; market competition; marketing; markets; non-wood forest products; Phili