DTI to bamboo gatherers: Harvest those matured only

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – A top official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) appealed to bamboo gatherers in the province to harvest only those matured bamboo.

Nelin Cabahug, DTI provincial director, made the appeal following reports that there are bamboo gatherers in Bataan who are harvesting even the young ones and sell it.

Aside from being easily destroyed, the immature bamboo being harvested will also not last long when used.

Cabahug will summon the members of the Bambo Development Council to discuss the issue as this will also result to shortage of bamboo. “We have around 100 stakeholders and beneficiaries in Banauang, Bagac while another 80 in Alangan, Limay town. We want to give them assistance,” said Cabahug.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources *(DENR)  is targeting to plant bamboos in a one million hectare of land by year 2022 and is enhancing its National Greening Program to rehabilitate 7.1 million hectares of denuded areas in the country using bamboo, it was learned.
Earlier, Mayor Gila S. Garcia of Dinalupihan town, and president of Bataan Mayors’ League urged her fellow mayors to plant at least 5,000 bamboo a year in each town.

“Mayor Garcia is aggressive in the bamboo propagation and she is a bamboo lover,” added Cabahug.