Regional bamboo industry group organized

OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental — The Regional Bamboo Industry Development Council in Northern Mindanao (RBIDC-X) has been organized in Northern Mindanao region.

The group was organized in connection to the Memorandum Circular issued by the government directing full implementation of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development (PBID) program to boost production of bamboo-based products.

Regional Director Linda O. Boniao of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-X) said RBIDC-X heads the group. RBIDC-X is composed of the following as members: regional directors of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP); representatives of the Emmanuel Pelaez Ranch Inc.; Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Foundation (OroChamber); and Hineleban Foundation.

The program enjoins all government agencies/instrumentalities, state universities and colleges (SUC’s), government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC’s) and local government units (LGUs) to support the full implementation of the PBID Program.

Boniao said the PBID was made a priority program of the government Per EO No. 879, s. of 2010, which also created the PBID Council that provide the overall policy and direction of the PBID Program.

Since its creation, RBIDC-10 has already undertaken several activities that included the inventory of existing bamboo plantation areas, conduct of various trainings, advocacy/ information campaigns, on-going executions of proto-types for e-bamboo desks, and organization of provincial bamboo industry council, among others, Boniao added.

On the other hand, EO 26, s. of 2011 has declared the National Greening Program (NGP) as a priority program of the government that will harmonize all the planting and greening activities and has listed bamboo among the preferred species for propagation areas eligible for development under the NGP.

Likewise, DENR, DA and DAR, in Executive Order No. 23, s. of 2011, were mandated to develop the NGP, in cooperation with DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), private sector and other concerned agencies.

Thus, the PBID Council and DENR, as the lead agencies for the NGP, shall harmonize and identify areas of cooperation and convergence of the PBID Program with the NGP. (PR)