Saturday, September 27, 2008 DTI spearheads activities for bamboo industry
ANGELES CITY -- In its bid to advance the bamboo industry in Central Luzon, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has started several activities recently in cooperation with the Pampanga Bamboo Development Council (PBDC).
Trade Regional Director Blesila Lantayona invited several bamboo advocates and stakeholders last week to draw up plans for the realization of a full-cycle value chain for bamboo which covers production, semi-processing, processing of engineered bamboo products and the market.
Lantayona said the bamboo industry has a huge potential in the region considering the available lands for production and existing small and medium industries for processing and manufacturing.
She is also a member of the core team for the regional agri-business summit organized by the Office of the President through Undersecretary Rellie Fajardo.
Believing that bamboo industry would generate income and livelihood for the farmers and small and medium entrepreneurs in Central Luzon, the DTI official has initiated moves to pilot a full-cycle industry in the region with the help of the Cottage Industry Technology Center (CITC) led by Director Frank Bonuan.
Bonuan presented the requirements for a full-blown industry last week in a meeting organized by the DTI regional office for the bamboo advocates and stakeholders.
Present during the meeting were the PBDC officers led by Renato Romero, Pampanga Board Member Ric Yabut, Renato Tayag, Edille Paras, Dr. Carmelito Tarun, Maribel Sison and representatives from Bulacan, Bataan, Tarlac and Zambales.
Bonuan likewise revealed the potentials of bamboo in the country using China and other Asian countries as models.
According to him, a minimum of 50,000 to 70,000 bamboo poles or approximately 50-hectare plantation is needed to start up activities for a full-blown semi-processing plant. The semi-processing facilities involve treatment of bamboo poles, splitting and production of slats and sawali.
He also stressed that Pampanga has existing furniture industries that can pilot processing and manufacturing of engineered bamboo products like floor tiles, pre-cut lumber and wood plank and ply boards or wall boards. "The entrepreneurial requirement for engineered bamboo products is already available in Pampanga. So I believe that Pampanga can provide suppliers for the full processing of bamboo raw materials," he said.
During the meeting, the DTI provincial directors and stakeholders of Bulacan, Tarlac and Bataan revealed that there are existing bamboo plantations in their areas that could supply raw materials for processing.
Bonuan said they have piloted a bamboo semi-processing facility in Abra and Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac. Both can be studied as models for benchmarking for the regional pilot project.
