QUALITY is determined by strength, cleaning, color, texture and length.
S2 (Streaky two). The color of the fiber of this grade ranges from ivory white to very light brown, slightly tinged with red or light purple streak. The fiber is of excellent cleaning. This grade is produced from the inner, middle and next to outer sheaths. The texture is soft.

S3 (Streaky three). The fiber of this grade is produced from the outer sheaths of the abaca stalk which are exposed to the sun. For this reason, the predominant color of the fiber is light to dark or purple, or a shade of dull to dark brown, depending on the variety of the plant from which the fiber is extracted. It is also of excellent cleaning and the texture is soft.

I (Current). This is the highest among the grades of good cleaning. Its predominant color is very light brown to light brown. The fiber is of medium soft texture, and is obtained from inner and middle sheaths of the stalk.

G (Soft seconds). The fiber of this grade is produced from the next to the outer leaf sheaths of the abaca stalk, the same sheaths as those that produce S2. The cleaning is good, the fiber not exceeding 0.5 mm, the texture is medium soft, and the color is dark brown.

H (Soft brown). The fiber of this grade is produced from the outer sheaths of the abaca stalk. The cleaning is good, the texture is medium soft and the color is dark brown.

JK (Seconds). The fibers of this grade are obtained from the inner, middle and next to outer sheaths of the abaca stalk. The cleaning is fair, the width is between 0.5 mm and 1 mm and the color ranges from dull brown to dingy light yellow, frequently streaked with light green. The texture is from medium soft to medium.

M1 (Medium brown). The fiber is of fair cleaning and the width is between 0.5 mm and 1 mm. Its color is dark brown to almost black.

Residual grades

Y (Damaged). This consists of fibers that are discolored, weak, soiled with dirt or mud, and heavily affected by molds. Fibers soiled with paints, oils and chemicals are excluded from these weak grades or from any standard grade. All fibers 60 cm or more but coarser than 1 mm and do not fall in any of the normal grades are included in this grade.

OT (Strings/tow). Strings consist of twisted or knotted strands of hand-cleaned abaca filter. Tow is abaca fiber which is less than 60 cm in length, representing tip cuttings and the tangled and broken fibers resulting from sorting during the classification process.