The agri department in NorMin reaffirms its support for the growth and development of the bamboo industry in the region and country, as well. 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10), under the leadership of Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan, reaffirms its support for the development and growth of the bamboo industry in the country, particularly in Northern Mindanao.

In a special meeting with bamboo industry stakeholders from the private sector held on May 10 to 11, RED Pacamalan joined DA Undersecretary for Livestock Deogracias Victor B. Savellano and DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Official Development Assistant Jerome V. Oliveros to discuss a proposed plan for the development of bamboo in the Philippines as an industrial crop.

During the meeting, participants tackled contextual information on the bamboo industry in the country, various strategies that are seen to drive the growth of bamboo production, as well as previously established bamboo development programs and past production efforts undertaken by private stakeholders concerning said crop.

Further, the meeting delved on the possible impacts of the industry’s growth on climate, planet, and people across concerned countries; perceived constraints to growth; and considerations for development actions aligned with the Philippines’ bamboo development roadmap.

Florida-based bamboo building materials company, RIZOME, through its President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Russel Smith expressed optimism in the shared endeavor, enjoining stakeholders from both the public and private sector to invest and co-create opportunities for local farmers and contribute to a sustainable enterprise.

“[Investing] in bamboo agroforestry and its value chain can help create opportunities for farmers to transform their local community and introduce this product into the market as a raw good, or a pre-processed, low-impact building material, creating sustainable village-level business,” the company executive said.

As a funding agency with interests in poverty eradication, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also recognized the significance of investing in the industry development plan, citing its shared appreciation of the agricultural value chain as a major contributor to socio-economic and community development.

For his part, USec Savellano, whose office also oversees regular meetings of bamboo stakeholders in government, highlighted DA’s integral role as a coordinating body with other government agencies, research institutions, and industry stakeholders to foster a conducive environment for the bamboo sector.

“As we [in the government] move forward with our ‘one-nation’ approach, the inputs shared in this activity is worth considering. Everyone should participate and all government initiatives [aligned with this undertaking] should be unified, all in support of the bamboo industry,” the DA official said.

During the meeting, RIZOME has also bared its bamboo development pipeline that tags the province of Bukidnon and the BARMM region as prime areas for production expansion, alongside Agusan del Sur in Mindanao; Samar island in Visayas; and Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya in Luzon.

With Mindanao’s large potential for bamboo growth and development, RED Pacamalan extended his support for the initiative, underscoring the agency’s tailor-fit agri-industrial programs and strategies to increase agricultural production while simultaneously producing more value-added products, providing farmers and their families with additional business and job opportunities, and higher incomes.

Cognizant of its potential as a high-value crop whose presence is mostly observed in rural, indigenous areas of the region, RED Pacamalan also assured the sustained support of DA-10 through its High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) and the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP).

Supporting the meeting were RIZOME Community Development head Eileen Gamo; First Community Cooperative (FICCO) CEO Edgardo A. Micayabas; Kapwa Agroforestry, Corp. partner for bamboo development Pax Doromal; and Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) Executive Director Butch Madarang.

Also present was the delegation of sector and department representatives from the ADB, led by ADB Country Director for the Philippines Pavit Ramachandran, and ADB General Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department Director Bruno Carrasco.

Also joining RED Pacamalan from DA-10 were HVCDP Assistant focal person Ronald Allan P. Camaddo, Livestock Program focal person Jamaica L. Docdoc, and staff.# (RDME/GDA)