Aside from the economic benefits of the use of bamboo, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Baguio is urging community members to plant more bamboo in open and denuded areas along with other seedling species especially in Benguet and other mountainous areas.
CENR Officer Leandro De Jesus said that it has been the advocacy of the environment department with other advocates to use bamboo species in the rehabilitation of degraded forestlands.
According to De Jesus, aside from other plant species in various sites, the use of bamboo is good for erosion control and slope stabilization because its roots help control erosion as it makes a water barrier and it prevents crops and villages from being washed away.
CENRO Baguio Forester Jolly Aloda explained that one of the bamboo species recommended to be planted in high slopes is the known Chinese Bamboo that can help mitigate effects of landslides specifically in Benguet. She added that through the initiatives of their office, there were 1,020 bamboo propagules planted in Pito, Bokod, Benguet.
The environment department highly considered bamboo as the “Green Gold” because of its ecological benefits and variety of uses. It is highly recognized as the best alternative for wood and also helps in climate change mitigation by storing large amounts of carbon dioxide.
Meanwhile, to promote production of bamboo and in celebration of the World Bamboo Day last September 17 with the theme “Alay ng Bayan sa Inang Kalikasan, Kawayan!”, a simultaneous bamboo planting was conducted together with DENR-CAR Regional Office, PENRO Benguet, Department of Trade and Industry and Barangay Alno, La Trinidad,
A total of Two Hundred Four (204) Bamboo Propagules (Bayog) were planted in a One-hectare area with a spacing of 7m x 7m at Alno Communal Forest, La Trinidad, Benguet.
DENR-CAR Regional Executive Director Ralph C. Pablo during the planting reiterated the potentials, opportunities and various uses of bamboo products, same with the proper way of planting to ensure good performance and high survival of bamboo propagules.
In pursuit of the Department’s thrust to rehabilitate and reforest degraded forestlands using Bamboo and in a continuous effort to develop sustainable bamboo plantation that would supplement the Philippine Wood Industry, the Forest Management Bureau tagged September as World Bamboo Month while September 17 will be World Bamboo Day that will serve as an avenue for the department to promote the planting of, and boost information dissemination on, Bamboo.
For a wide ray of knowledge of various bamboo species in the country, the Philippine Bambusetum located at Loakan, Baguio City is open for educational exploration purposes.**Ian Addatu
