The increasing demand for paper worldwide, the shortage of wood as raw materials, the abundance of agricultural residents such as sugarcane bagasse and rice straw, and the environmental effects of all these have attracted interest in the production of paper from non-wood sources. This study aimed to determine the results of the proportion and cooking time of sugarcane bagasse and rice straw mixture on handmade paper quality, specifically on its tensile index, folding endurance, tear index, and acceptability in terms of appearance, color, odor, and texture. It employed the experimental method of research applying the Complete Randomized Factorial Design Both raw materials, sugarcane bagasse, and the rice straw were collected at Sadanga, Mountain Province, and cooked at 100C. The treated samples were tested according to Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPP) 220 sp-06 standard procedures under the following room conditions: a) Dry bulb temperature (23+1.0C) and b) Relative humidity (50+2.0%) at the Department of Science and Technology- Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI). These were analyzed using the minimum standard of the TAPPI 220sp-06 as a basis for comparison. Two Way Multiple Range Test was used to determine through sensory evaluation of consumer acceptability of paper and were analyzed through their mean values.

The blend of sugar cane bagasse and rice straw in different proportions and cooking times resulted in handmade papers with tensile indexes, folding endurance, and tear indexes, much higher than the minimum TAPPI 220 sp-60 standard. The optimum tensile index of 71.67 N.m/g was obtained at a proportion of 1 cup SB:3/4 cup RS with a cooking time 1.5 hours. Optimum folding endurance of 172.01 was determined at a ratio of 1 part SB:1/4 part RS and cooking time of 1.5 hours, while optimum tear index of 10.33 mN.m2/g was obtained at a proportion of 1 part SB:1/2 part RS at 2 hours cooking time. The results imply that such papers are suitable for maps, ledgers, record books, brochures, and the other kinds of Information Education Communication (IEC) materials, bags, wrapping and packaging stocks, building papers, paper boards, and paper for children’s books. The sugarcane bagasse-based papers are highly acceptable for odor and appearance, color, and texture.