Bataan mayor eyes forest protected areas for bamboo industry

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Dinalupihan town mayor Maria Angela Garcia is eyeing the forest protected areas as the feasible location for bamboo farming project for the indigenous people livelihood thrust in the upland villages.

Mrs. Imelda Inieto, chief of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), stressed that Mayor Garcia is keen of promoting livelihood projects which would generate job opportunities that would eventually improve the socio-economic status of the cultural minorities.

Inieto said the Dinalupihan town officials are reportedly coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial director Mrs. Nelin Cabahug to discuss the possibility of acquiring equipment and training for the production of engineered bamboo products like lampshades, chairs, floor tiles, windows and other artistically crafted native handicrafts for export to European and American markets.

The DTI has distributed equipment at no cost to the farmer-beneficiaries and conducted free training courses under its Shared Service Facility (SSF) program.

Last week, the DTI granted P 600,000 worth of kiln drying machine, band saw and pole cutter to the Alangan Farmers Association of Limay and more than P 1 million worth of machines for the production of sophisticated bamboo products to Mamamayang Sagip Kalikasan ng Banawang, Bagac town.

About 500 hectares of land classified under the forest protective area in the province are planted to bamboo which uses as shelterbelts, erosion control in sloping ground and streambanks, light construction, lattices bridges housing and furniture and source of pulp in paper making, according to Lawyer Raul Mamac, (DENR) provincial environment and natural resources officer in Bataan.