Monday, November 27, 2006 180-T hectares in Davao identified for reforestation By Joy Romares-Sevilla
A TOTAL of 180,000 hectares in Southern Mindanao have been identified as areas for reforestation in order not to have a future dip in wood supply exported to at least eight different countries.
Louis Rabata, chair of the Wood Industry Cluster of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 11, issued this statement.
"We have to work together or else after five years, we will say goodbye to wood industry," Rabat said, adding that replanting will be done in all provinces in Davao Region.
"Hindi natin masasabi kung anong lugar ang may pinakamalaking area for replanting kasi halos magkapareha lang ang lawak ng area na kailangang mataniman. Reforestation is needed, but we also have to find the right specie and the funding that comes with it," he added.
The cluster wants to achieve a steady supply of raw materials, skilled manpower and right technology, stable market, socially responsible firms, supportive government, and a strategic industry alliance.
Engineer Edwin Banquerigo, deputy center director of the National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (Nerbac) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), told Sun.Star Davao that the wood export now is improving.
The industry is now exporting furniture/parts and furnishings to USA, Japan; lumber and finger-jointed sticks in Japan and China; various builder woodworks in Taiwan, Japan and USA; door/window jambs and panels in China, Japan and USA; pallets and wood chips in Taiwan and in Japan; veneer in Korea, and multiply core in Singapore.
Banquerigo said pallets have the highest demand among wood products exported since it is used by the banana industry in exporting banana products.
"Banana industry is the biggest consumer of pallets locally because you cannot export banana without the pallets," he said.
Southern Mindanao is exporting 80,000 pallets a month.
One of the major activities of the wood industry cluster is to have a Regional Industry Summit.
"All concerns and issues regarding wood industry is facing will be raised during the summit, but the activity as of now is more of a plan," Banquerigo said.
