PH bamboo industry requires big boost from gov’t— Legarda

“The lack of technical knowledge, promotion and local research on bamboo hinder the development of the local bamboo industry. Bamboo offers a cheaper alternative to hardwood, timber and other raw materials used for furniture or handicraft making. We need to invest more on research and development, bamboo cultivation, processing and product development to spur economic activities,” Legarda said as she pushed for the immediate passage of the proposed Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Act of 2017.

Senate Bill No. 1478 seeks to make the country’s bamboo industry competitive while providing opportunities for local employment and establishing bamboo-based enterprises by ensuring that the industry has sufficient supply of quality raw materials through the establishment of bamboo nurseries and plantations; providing substantial and attractive incentives to investors; ensuring that it continuously receives relevant technologies and new products; providing capacity building among skilled labors; providing access to markets of bamboo products locally and internationally through aggressive trade promotions and ensuring sustainable resources in the implementation of the bamboo industry development program.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committees on Finance and Climate Change, has long been advocating the use and promotion of bamboo in the Philippines as a climate change mitigation and disaster resilience tool. “Bamboo plays an important role in climate change mitigation as it absorbs more carbon dioxide and releases more oxygen into the atmosphere than trees,” she stressed.

Said measure provides for the creation of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development PASIG

CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) formalized the inclusion of the Korean language in the Special Program in Foreign Languages (SPFL) as Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones and the Republic of Korea Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Jae Shin signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on June 21 at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH), Diliman, Quezon City.

“We are very happy that finally we are having this signing of the MOA. This is not a beginning. This is a continuation of very long years of fruitful relationship, including the field of education, between Korea and the Republic of the Philippines... Korea and the Philippines play important roles in each other’s life, it would be good for our children also to continue the tradition of knowing about each other,” Briones said.

The Korean language in SPFL will serve as an

elective offering to 10 selected secondary schools in the National Capital Region (NCR). SPFL is designed to prepare graduates for meaningful interactions in a linguistically and culturally diverse global workplace.

In preparation for the program, DepEd will strengthen the capacity of teachers to provide quality instruction in Korean through the Korean Cultural Center, which organizes cultural activities, courses in Korean language, and Korean teacher training. DepEd also aims to sustain the professional development of teachers who shall, in the long term, serve as trainers of other teachers.

The MOA signing was also attended by DepEd’s Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Dina Ocampo and Bureau of Curriculum Development (BCD) Director Jocelyn Andaya, as well as the Korean Cultural Center’s First Secretary Lee Jin Cheol and Vice Director Lee Du Kyung.

Ambassador Kim recognized the importance of language in strengthening bilateral relationships and expressed continued support to ensure the success of the program, “I'm very happy that Korean language is added as one of the second foreign languages. Language is very important so teaching and studying [foreign languages] in schools is very helpful to deepen the bilateral understanding between two nations or cultures.”