PINOY Workers Rep. Karl Fernandez Legazpi proposed an inquiry in aid of legislation to strengthen the country's ube industry.
Ube is widely regarded as a Philippine product and an important part of Filipino culinary heritage, even though the plant itself (Dioscorea alata, purple yam) is found elsewhere in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Ube "has gained increasing international recognition in recent years due to growing consumer demand for unique, visually distinctive, and value-added food products, resulting in expanding opportunities in global markets," Legazpi said in a resolution filed on Monday.
"Now, therefore, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved, to direct the House Committee on Agriculture and Food to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the state of the Philippine ube industry, with the end in view of recognizing its cultural, agricultural, and economic significance, assessing its competitiveness in the global market, and identifying measures to strengthen the industry for the benefit of Filipino farmers and rural communities," he said.
The resolution, citing a Philippine Information Agency article, said the Department of Trade and Industry reported that the country's exports of ube reached about US$3.06 million in 2025.
The resolution added that the country's ube production fell to 12,483.31 metric tons in 2025 from over 15,000 metric tons in 2021, citing the Philippine Statistics Authority OpenSTAT website.
The global ube market is currently estimated to be worth approximately $455 million and is projected to reach $1 billion by 2035, highlighting the growing potential of the industry.
Ube production, Legazpi said, supports the livelihoods of farmers, workers, traders, processors, and small enterprises across the agricultural value chain and presents growing opportunities for rural economic development and export growth.