THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Luzon led by executive director Paquito Moreno, Jr., partnered with the local government unit (LGU) of Hermosa in Bataan to propagate bamboo species and establish a 1.7-hectare bambusetum and bamboo nursery to further help boost the rehabilitation of Manila Bay and to stabilize river banks last June 23, 2021.
Moreno said the propagation of bamboo is in support of the marching order of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to plant and use bamboo as priority species to rehabilitate river banks and the Manila Bay.
The DENR and LGU Hermosa have also initially planted some 30 propagules of yellow bamboo in the closed sanitary landfill in Barangay Mambog in Hermosa town.
The DENR and LGU are set to plant and grow another 950 propagules of Giant Bamboo, Yellow bamboo, Budda belly bamboo, Kawayan tinik, Kawayan kiling and Bayog species that can be a potential source of engineered bamboo and as planting material to control soil erosion, stabilize river banks and rehabilitate degraded areas.
Since 2011, the DENR has already established more than 14,000 hectares of bamboo plantation in the region under the National Greening Program (NGP).
According to study, there are 62 bamboo species in the Philippines and 21 of these are considered endemic to the country.