Banana, with its many potential health benefits, is one of the most important fruit crops in the Philippines. The Philippine Banana Industry comprises farmers, cooperatives, traders, exporters, and manufacturers but is mainly dominated by large multinational companies. There are three major varieties produced in the country: 1. Cavendish, the primary variety (50% of the total banana production), generates 329,648 jobs in the country, providing P42.3B in annual wages; 2. Lakatan, a popularly known dessert, contributes 11% of the total banana production; and 3. Saba, a major cooking-type banana, comprises 29% of the total banana production. The Philippines is the 3rd largest producer of bananas globally, following India and China in 2014 (FAOStat, 2017). Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as of 2019, the Davao region is the top producer of bananas with 3.43M mt or 37.4% of the total banana production in 2019. Significant banana producers in the Philippines also include the regions of Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, and BARMM, with 21.4, 12.9, and 6.5 percent shares in 2019 production, respectively.  

Banana products are commonly exported fresh and processed like banana chips, one of the emerging export winners of the Philippines. The raw materials for banana chips production are based on two cultivars, namely Saba and Cardaba.