NICC Secretariat visits Home Biz-Bamboo Technology Development Center,  Bamboo Technology Resource Center, and Bamboo FAB LAB Mindanao in Iligan City

A delegation of bamboo stakeholders from Region 2 led by Regional Director Leah Pulido Ocampo of the Department of Trade and Industry, who is also the national industry coordinator for bamboo visits the Home Biz-Bamboo Technology Development Center, Bamboo Technology Resource Center, and the FAB LAB Mindanao in Iligan City.

The tour visits aim to immerse the bamboo stakeholders from Region 2 to a range of innovative technologies and potential business opportunities that the Home Biz-Bamboo Technology Development Center, Bamboo Technology Resource Center, and the FAB LAB may introduce and which they can replicate in their organization or field of endeavor.

The team visited the Home Biz-Bamboo Technology Development Center, a private family owned business, managed by Mr. Roberto Palomares. It is an Engineered Bamboo processing shop producing Bamboo Flooring Planks, Panel Boards, and Step Boards, among others.

Mr. Palomares showed their various bamboo product outputs, shared tips, techniques and wisdom  that he acquired from his business operations.

The Bamboo Technology Resource Center in Mindanao State University Iligan Institute of Technology was also visited where in Dr. Lilian T. Valencia, Bamboo Resource Coordinator discussed the operations of the Center and processing facility.

Meanwhile, the FAB LAB Mindanao which is housed within the Mindanao State University Iligan Institute of Technology places a strong emphasis on engineering, science, and technology. It aims to serve as a place where researchers in these fields can create prototypes of their designs. It was founded in 2016 with support from DTI Region X under its Shared Service Facilities (SSF) Program.

With the presence of the FAB LAB Mindanao, local communities in Mindanao can benefit from the mentorship of fab lab’s entrepreneurs and inventors as they develop their goods and services. The FAB LAB will act as a technology access hub where local businesses can access basic design services with workshop offerings in equipment use and programmable microcontrollers.

Among the delegates were Bamboo NICC Secretariat (DTI R2), representatives from the academe such Cagayan State University, Isabela State University, Quirino State University, Nueva Vizcaya State University, representatives from Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and some private sectors  from the provincial Bamboo Council Representatives. #

Posted on Facebook on October 16, 2022

Cagayan Valley Bamboo Council and the NICC Secretariat visit Bamboo Nursery in Malaybalay, Bukidnon and Home of Bamboo Bootcamp in Davao City, Davao del Sur

As part of a five-day learning tour in Mindanao, the Region 2 bamboo stakeholders, led by DTIRegional Director Leah Pulido Ocampo, the National Industry Cluster Coordinator for Bamboo, visit Ms. Myrna Decipulo’s Bamboo Nursery in Malaybalay, Bukidnon and the Home of Bamboo Bootcamp in Davao City, Davao del Sur.

Myrna Decipulo, a retired forester, is the owner of the Germinators Farm Bamboo Nursery which propagates mainly giant bamboo seedlings.

She is known as the “Bamboo Queen of Mindanao” for being an active and prime mover of the bamboo industry in Mindanao. She is an expert on innovative yet practical techniques on bamboo nursery operations and management.

A learning tour was also conducted at the Home of Bamboo Bootcamp in Davao City, Davao del Sur, recently recognized as the Bamboo Center of Davao Region.

The Bamboo Bootcamp has been offering bamboo-architecture training courses among architects, builders, contractors and bamboo enthusiasts in general. Ms. Rica Gadi, the owner and the brains behind the advocacy briefly discussed how our neighboring countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and China are going back to bamboo as an alternative building material. She showed the group its iconic huge bamboo hut called Matik Salog Hall, which was collaboratively built by the community, and other bamboo huts which were designed and constructed by the apprentices enrolled under the Bamboo Bootcamp Training Program.

The Bamboo Bootcamp teaches individuals interested in starting a bamboo business the full “life-cycle” of bamboo as a sustainable material for building, while creating, and supporting livelihoods.

Meanwhile, Mr. Rey Millan, a well known Bamboo Advocate also known as the “Mr. Fix it” shared his wisdom learned from his 37 years of solid experience in bamboo farming and community organizing. He made emphasis on the importance of first establishing bamboo farms before we can even dream of a truly sustainable bamboo industry, and to make sure we plant the right variety that will be able to sustain the industry we want to pursue, whether it be handicrafts, industrial or architectural.

Delegates of the learning tour were the members of the Bamboo NICC Secretariat (DTI R2), representatives from the DENR and DA, officials from the academe such as Cagayan State University, Isabela State University, Quirino State University, Nueva Vizcaya State University and bamboo advocates from the private sector  representing the provincial Bamboo Councils. #

Posted on Facebook on October 18, 2022

Cagayan Valley Bamboo Council and the NICC Secretariat visit Bamboo Plantation in Tagum City and Monfort Bat Sanctuary in the Island Garden of Samal, Davao del Norte

As part of a five-day learning tour in Mindanao, the Region 2 bamboo stakeholders, led by DTI Regional Director Leah Pulido Ocampo, the National Industry Cluster Coordinator for Bamboo, visit Mr. Rey Millan’s Bamboo Plantation in Tagum City, and the Monfort Bat Sanctuary and Bambusetum in the Island Garden of Samal, Davao del Norte.

Mr. Rey Millan, or fondly called as “Coach or Mr. Fix it” in the bamboo industry, owns a 98.2-hectare bamboo plantation where Iron, Kayali, Laak, and giant bamboo are mainly planted.

The farm supplies bamboo poles mainly to banana plantations in Mindanao which use the poles as props for bananas. The poles are also used as fish corrals, vegetable trellis and building materials.

A learning tour was also conducted at the Monfort Bat Sanctuary in the Island Garden of Samal, Davao del Norte. The said batcave houses almost 1.8 million bats and is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest colony of fruit bat. On any given day approximately 1.8 million Geoffroy’s rousette fruit bats (Rousettus amplexicaudatus) inhabit the Monfort Bat Cave on Samal Island.

The Monfort Bat Sanctuary also has a bambusetum with Purple Bamboo as one of its rare collection. Ms. Norma Monfort, owner of the Monfort Bat Sanctuary is also the chair of the Davao Region Bamboo Industry Development Council.

She shared some of her experiences in the bamboo industry as well as how bamboos help in the environment and the role that it plays in the life cycle of the bats.

Delegates of the learning tour were the members of the Bamboo NICC Secretariat (DTI R2), representatives from the DENR and DA, officials from the academe such as Cagayan State University, Isabela State University, Quirino State University, Nueva Vizcaya State University and bamboo advocates from the private sector representing the provincial Bamboo Councils. #

Posted on Facebook on October 19, 2022

Date of Release: 19 October 2022