Gov’t wants 19,000 ha of land planted to bamboo

The government wants to convert at least 19,000 hectares of land into bamboo plantations this year in line with plans to encourage more people to join the industry.

The Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC), an interagency group composed of national and local government representatives, plans to have 13,000 ha of the target located in Western Visayas, according to a statement of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday. Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez heads the council as its chair.

PBIDC will launch an official campaign in March to promote the bamboo industry.

Bamboo takes only three years to fully grow, compared to 10 to 20 years for wood trees, the DTI said. Bamboo can be used as construction materials and materials for furniture

and paper-making, among its many uses.

“Bamboo planting can provide a sustainable source of livelihood to people in the countryside,” Lopez said.

Since the plant grows quickly and is weather-resilient, it is an ideal business for farmers who are looking for alternative sources of income, he added. In a meeting on Jan. 9, Lopez said the DTI was ready to provide shared service facilities for those who wish to venture into bamboo processing.

On top of this, there are other forms of government support that could soon be tapped by businesses. For example, the DTI said that agribusiness ventures like bamboo production and processing form part of the strategic investments priorities plan (SIPP), which entitled investors to tax incentives.

The SIPP is part of the government’s push to rationalize tax incentives and lower the corporate income tax through the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act.