www.Betsy and Terry.fun

>
> On Wednesday, September 21, 2005, 26 members of the Museum Volunteers of the
> Philippines enjoyed a very informative day touring LA FLOR DE LA ISABELA,
> ("The Flower of Isabela") manufacturer of fine cigars since 1881. This is
> one of only three manufacturers of hand rolled cigars in the Philippines.
>
> We boarded a bus in Makati City and traveled south on the South Superhighway
> for about 30 minutes to Paranaque. Upon our arrival we were met by a
> friendly group of staff members. Just as we were about to begin our tour,
> the electricity went out and we were left in the dark. That did not keep us
> from "seeing" what we had come to see, so we began our journey through the
> impressive factory.
>
> The tobacco is kept at a constant temperature and fermented for 4-5 years
> before being used in cigars. The fermenting process requires the leaves to
> be rotated by hand in order to eliminate excess nicotine, ammonia and sugar.
>
> The first group of cheerful women, working by candlelight, were evaluating
> and sorting the leaves according to their size, color, texture, weight, and
> thickness. These leaves would eventually become the final layer on the
> cigars which is called the "wrapper." During this process the workers
> removed the center stem from the leaves. The "wrapper" leaves are then
> bundled together in groups of 26 and kept at a constant 18 degrees Celsius.
>
> After about 30 minutes we were excited when the electricity came back on and
> we were able to see the rest of the operations. The largest section of the
> factory is the area where the cigars are rolled. There seemed to be about 60
> people working away rolling cigars. There are many different varieties of
> cigars. Each roller was assigned to make a certain type of cigar and
> required to meet a minimum quota per day. They are paid extra when they
> produce beyond their quota. This incentive program has worked well
> providing positive reinforcement for dedicated employees committed to
> producing a quality product.
>
> Following the rolling area we watched the quality control workers carefully
> examining each cigar individually for perfection of size and shape. The
> cigars are then sorted by color to ensure that like colors are boxed
> together. The finishing steps include banding, wrapping in cellophane, and
> finally boxing and sealing the cigars for shipment.
>
> At the conclusion of our tour we were able to place our personal orders and
> carry our cigars home with us