The Philippine government aims to achieve its target to reforest at least 500,000 hectares with bamboo as part of the 1 million hectares of designated areas before the end of 2016.
Angelito Exconde of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau said other areas are targeted to be planted with bamboo like local government units, military reservations and degraded areas.
He said the country intends to contribute to the Asean commitment of 20 million hectares of new forest by 2020 through reforesting over 500,000 hectares with bamboo.
Executive Order 879 outlines such reforestation target and mandates the Philippine Bamboo Industry and Development Council, headed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to provide overall policy and program directions for all stakeholders in the bamboo industry.
For her part, Felicitas Martin of DENR Forest Management Bureau said that in 2013, around 7,579 hectares were planted with bamboo with a total of 2,116,790 seedlings or culms.
Under the National Greening Program, the government has allotted 1 percent of the country’s 1.5 million hectares of forest as areas for bamboo planting.
For 2015 the DENR is targeting to plant bamboo in 3,086 hectares.
The government noted that bamboo is a good substitute for wood. A bamboo culm matures and develops strength properties comparable to most wood species in about three years. Its utility has expanded to include its transformation into various structural floors and panels and engineered bamboo products.
Bamboo shoots are also a good food source. It is an important vegetable in the daily meals of many people in Asia and is considered a gourmet item in Western countries where they are available only as imports.