BAMBOO industry players believe the passage of the proposed Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Act (Pbida) would boost the country’s competitive edge in the natural bamboo market, particularly in transport, construction, furniture and fabric sectors, leading to industrial-manufacturing development using the lowly giant grass species as raw material.
Filed under House Bill 9576, the PBIDA was approved for third and final reading in August 2021. Advocates of the bill hope it could be certified as urgent by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
A statement issued by the Kilusang 5K Foundation quoted its chairman Deogracias Victor B. Savellano as saying he believes the Pbida “will substantially help advance our industrial development.”
“We already have the clumps in our inventory. We just need the support for production, training, processing,” Savellano said.
The bill envisions to seize part of a global market—with a value of $8 billion in 2010—and institutionalize the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC).
Industry council
CREATED by Executive Order (EO) 879 in 2010, the PBIDC saw the prospect of bamboo replacing plastic, metal and other wood as manufacturing input.
While Savellano has earlier been appointed vice chairman of the PBIDC, the council has not yet been convened. A budget has neither been allocated for the council.
According to EO 879, the PBIDC should be composed of the heads of the following government departments: Trade and Industry; Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); Agriculture; and, Science and Technology.
Bamboo advocates are now petitioning government to allocate at least P100 million to jumpstart the development of bamboo as a manufacturing sector.
EO 879 mandates the DENR, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Laguna Lake Development Authority to use bamboo in at least 20 percent in their annual reforestation areas.
PBIDC Executive Director Rene E. Madarang earlier created three technical working groups for production and propagation, for industry and commerce and for training of workforce.
Economic potential
THE bamboo industry holds huge economic potential for contributing to industrialization, being a highly-durable and ecologically-friendly raw material.
Comparable to or even better than other hardwood, bamboo has already been technologically developed into engineered wood, composites, laminated wood, or strand woven bamboo as sophisticated lumber or construction material.
Filipinos have extensively exhibited their creative genius in using bamboo.
For instance, the Cubo modular house designed by Earl Forlales is not only modern but one that is also a durable house made of indigenous materials. In 2017, designer Christopher Paris Lacson crafted the Banatti motorcycle whose body is made of highly durable, elegant-looking, light-weight bamboo.
Filipino Antonio de Leon designed a single-engine, light experimental aircraft that used a type of woven bamboo.
Bamboo also holds tremendous promise as green ethanol or fossil fuel substitute as a renewable energy.
Image credits: Base Bahay Foundation Inc.