GUAGUA -- The Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Pamcham) will host Pampanga province's first-ever Bamboo Week celebration on October 20-24 to promote bamboo as a potential source of livelihood and industry.
Pamcham program coordinator Myrna Bituin told Sun.Star Pampanga that the event aims to consolidate all bamboo projects and craft into one show-area.
The Bamboo Week is set to be integrated as part of the Likha ng Central Luzon Trade Fair, which is scheduled in October.
"We would like to create a more visual awareness of the products and programs involving bamboo. The Bamboo Week will include exhibits, seminars and actual demonstration of the making of bamboo crafts," Bituin said, stressing that the event is timely as it jives with the recent reconstitution of the Pampanga Bamboo Development Council (PBDC) to which Pamcham is a member.
The Bamboo Week will also feature bamboo-made arches in selected houses of Pamcham members.
To further institutionalize the celebration, Bituin said that they will offer the Bamboo Week celebration as an integrated program event of the City of San Fernando and the Provincial Government of Pampanga.
"We would be asking councilors in the City of San Fernando and board members who believe in our cause to sponsor ordinances institutionalizing the program event. This is to ensure the continuity of the bamboo awareness campaign," Bituin said.
Meanwhile, Pamcham president Rene Romero, said in a separate interview that he will lobby to integrate the Bamboo Week celebration under the Pampanga Day events of the province.
"My own house will in fact be used as a show area for bamboo products and we plan to do that this coming Christmas season with the help of our friends in the PBDC," Romero said.
Pamcham is encouraging other sectors to become part of the efforts to propagate bamboo as potential industry, Romero added. (Ian Ocampo Flora)