Council plans to spend ₧100M for bamboo work program

THE Philippines will carry out this year a P100.05-million bamboo work program which includes trade and marketing in global venues to promote Filipino innovations in bamboo architecture and other products.

The Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) is sustaining inter-agency programs for Filipino bamboo products despite prevailing budgetary constraints.

As the council is composed of several government agencies led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), PBIDC is consolidating budgets to implement the 2024 program, according to Agriculture Undersecretary and PBIDC Vice Chairman Deogracias Victor B. Savellano.

“Bamboo is an industry where we have huge potential to earn from export. This is why PBIDC is putting up with our present budgetary lack to promote our products that are really world class,” he said in a statement.

Foremost among the trade exhibitions is the First Philippine Bamboo Conference and Exhibition on Architecture, Interior Design and Construction. Some P8 million is being allocated for this, of which P5 million may be sourced from the Department of Science and Technology.

DTI Undersecretary Blesila A. Lantayona said the other venues for bamboo’s promotion are the Philippine International Furniture Show (PIFW) and Manila FAME, Asia’s trade show for home, furnishings, and lifestyle. PIFW and Manila FAME will be allocated P1 million each.

The country’s biggest construction show, Philconstruct Expo, and the National Trade Fair will also have bamboo exhibitions.

As bamboo is seen as a sunshine industry, P24 million is being allocated by PBIDC for nationwide nursery establishment and management this year.

To support the identification of existing bamboo plantations, PBIDC is allocating P5 million budget for the Bamboo Inventory and Technology-enabled Mapping (BRITEMAP).

Inventory mapping of bamboo plantations will be critical now that many private companies have started investing in bamboo product manufacturing, according to PBIDC Executive Director Rene Butch Madarang.

PBIDC is looking at expanding the BRITEMAP program to as many regions of the Philippines. This will facilitate supply for bamboo raw materials of investors that are now putting up manufacturing plants all over the country, said Madarang.

Engineered bamboo is now being manufactured by the Philippines and is seen to potentially substitute P400 billion worth of wood imports. PBIDC said it is supporting this vision with its program for Value Chain Analysis for Bamboo as an Architectural and Construction Material. For 2024, P5.5 million is allocated for this study.

While seeking for the passage of the Kawayan Act in Congress which will harmonize all activities of different government agencies on bamboo, PBIDC is already embarking on master planning. The Philippine Bamboo Roadmap updating is budgeted with P5.55 million.

The Kawayan Act, authored by Senator Mark A. Villar, who is also the Senate Committee Chairman on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneuship, is looking at an initial P100 million budget for its implementation.

However, this budget is apparently just for administration and organization of the envisioned bamboo center.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’s neighbors are investing heavily in their bamboo industries. Thailand is reportedly infusing $10 billion for its “Bamboo Villages” development.

The Bamboo Global Report Market 2023 placed bamboo revenue at $66.22 billion in 2022 and $71.63 billion in 2023. This is seen to further grow to $92.62 billion in 2027.