Bamboo forum to discuss future of bamboo industry

By Jennifer C. Tilos

Saturday 11th of August 2012

DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug 11 (PIA) -- The bamboo industry development council will hold a bamboo forum in September here to promote bamboo as good livelihood and as means to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.

The forum aims to gather stakeholders of the bamboo industry in the province as well as in the region to draw future plans for this.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led the creation of local bamboo industry development council in Negros Oriental to comply with Executive Order (EO) No. 189 to help intensify the bamboo industry in Negros Oriental.

DTI provincial director Javier Fortunato briefed the members on the significant items of the EO that directs the full implementation of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Program.

The DTI will invite bamboo experts to discuss the state of the bamboo industry in the country, its value chain and directions.

The activity also includes resource mapping, product development and technology transfer, and capability building-training.

The local bamboo development council is composed of various government agencies that include the DTI as the chair; the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Education (DepEd), Science and Technology, Labor and Employment, the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce Inc., Philippine Bamboo Foundation Inc., Buglas Bamboo Institute, among others.

The EO tasked the DepEd to procure the equivalent of at least 20 percent of the annual school desk and armchair requirement of all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide in bamboo furniture. (mbcn/JCT-PIA7, Negros Oriental)