Sectors back Pampanga bamboo dev’t project

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Pampanga Governor Lilia G. Pineda led government officials, businessmen, students and other representatives from both public and private sectors including Japanese consultants in the ceremonial bamboo planting activity held recently in Barangay Sta. Catalina, Lubao town.

Aptly described as a convergence and clear manifestation of public and private sector partnership, the said planting activity according to Leonila Baluyut, provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is in line with the implementation of the bamboo development project in the province which seeks to promote livelihood opportunities, lessen poverty and to serve as a mitigation measure to address climate change.

DTI is one of the member-agencies of the Provincial Bamboo Development Council (PBDC) technical working group tasked to ensure the immediate planting of some 2,000 bamboo seedlings in strategic areas in the province, Baluyut said.

Aside from DTI, the TWG has for its members the Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC), Advocates for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL), Pampanga Chamber of Commerce (PamCham) and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).

Baluyut said that around 100 bamboo seedlings were planted in the said ceremonial planting activity by students from Asian College of Science and Technology (ACSAT), member-agencies of the bamboo development council, board members and other officials of the provincial government.

She added that some Japanese consultants from the Mt. Pinatubo Hazard Urgent Mitigation Project (PHUMP) also joined in the said planting activity.

“This overwhelming support of the public and private sectors is a clear manifestation of their belief in the economic potentials of bamboo development, not to mention its contribution to the protection of our environment.”

“It’s a good project and we are certainly moving in the right direction especially in terms of addressing environmental degradation,” Baluyut stressed.

She relayed that the governor has instructed the municipal planning and development coordination (MPDC) office and the barangay captains of Lubao to “see to it that the remaining 1,900 out of the targeted 2,000 bamboo seedlings are planted immediately.”

The governor, explained Baluyut, envisions Pampanga to be the model province in the propagation and development of the bamboo industry in the country.

Last July 12, Pineda led the launching activity of the Lubao bamboo negosyo village in barangay Sta. Catalina, Lubao during which 580 bamboo seedlings were planted in the area.

Trainings on primary bamboo processing and nursery management were also subsequently conducted by the Cottage Industry and Technology Center of the DTI to provide the target 40 participants with the necessary skills and capabilities.

At present, the PBDC TWG puts primary focus on the propagation of bamboo seedlings and their immediate planting in areas pre-identified by concerned local government units in the province.

In an earlier meeting of the PBDC at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall, DTI Regional Director Blesila Lantayona explained that the bamboo industry development project is now a national priority program with the issuance of Executive Order No. 879 creating the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBDIC) and promoting the said project.

Lantayona further explained that the said EO also directed the use of bamboo for at least 25% of the desk and other furniture requirements of public elementary and secondary schools and prioritizing the use of bamboo in furniture, fixtures and other construction requirements of government facilities.

Dubbed “Kawayan para sa Kalikasan at Kayamanan”, the said program is anchored on climate change mitigation, disaster mitigation and poverty mitigation.

The bamboo has strong capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, prevents soil erosion, a good wind break and a good source of livelihood for both farmers and manufacturers, Lantayona ended. (Pampanga PIO)