Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio
In the Philippines, particularly in the rural areas, bamboo abounds. Mostly, bamboos are found along river banks. Our folklores tell us that our supposed descendants — Malakas (strength) and Maganda (beautiful) — came out of bamboo. Of course, everyone knows that.
But what most Filipinos don’t know that what used to be known as the “poor man’s timber” is now gracing many high-end homes, hotels, and offices around the world. Yes, the humble bamboo has gone a long, long way.
“The global market for bamboo products amounts to US$12 billion, and much of this is for the engineered bamboo sector,” the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI), a line agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), reports.
Engineered bamboo, designed to be a replacement for wood, is a low-cost product manufactured from bamboo. It has been used as paneling, vehicle beds, concrete formworks, lightweight building construction. It was even used for shelters after the 2004 tsunami.
In comparison to the woods that have been traditionally used, a number of benefits and drawbacks have been identified with engineered bamboo. Lower cost, especially when replacing wood that would otherwise have been imported, is a key advantage. Further benefits include greater hardness and shape retention, especially in high temperatures.
One of the primary drawbacks of engineered bamboo is that it is not as resilient as most woods. In addition, it will decay more rapidly than other woods if not treated with preservatives.
“We are happy to say that the Philippines now has its own engineered bamboo industry,” says Dr. Romulo T. Aggangan, FPRDI director. “Although still immature and bugged by various problems, it is also blessed with a lot of strengths, and given enough support from concerned groups, can be expected to grow strong, and in time be able to meet the needs of local clients or even capture a slice of the global market.”
Currently, about 10 companies are making engineered bamboo products. “Most of them are small-scale enterprises producing items on a per order basis,” said a press release circulated by DOST.
Among the most common species used for engineered bamboo are “kawayan tinik” (Bambusa blumeana), giantbamboo (Dendrocalamus asper), “bolo” (Gigantochloa levis), “botong” (D. latiforus) and “bayog” (B. merrilliana).
In the Philippines alone, there’s a big demand for engineered bamboo. “Since 2010, it has been mandated by law that 25% of all school desks and furniture in the country’s public schools should be made of engineered bamboo,” said Dr. Rico J. Cabangon, a FPRDI official.
About 10,000 hectares of plantations — using the right bamboo species — is needed to meet the projected annual demand of 312,000 school desks and other saleable products such as panels, flooring, décor, and high-end furniture.
Indeed, the future of engineered bamboo is bright. “The world market for engineered bamboo can reach US$20 billion by 2020,” Dr. Cabangon said.
In an interview with Manila Times, Director Senen Perlada of Department of Trade Industry’s Bureau of Export Trade Promotion, said: “Engineered bamboo can provide Philippine furniture manufacturers the competitive edge over ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) competitors.”
For centuries, the beauty and durability of bamboo have been known among Asians. In China, for instance, bamboo is one of the four noblest plants (the three others are the orchid, the plum tree, and the chrysanthemum). It is also one of the three multi-purpose plants grown in thousands of Indonesian villages today, the other two being banana and coconut.
Although often listed as a “minor” forest product, bamboo is fast regaining its rightful place these days. According to an article, which appeared in Reader’s Digest, bamboo “is delicate enough to be used in phonograph needles, yet strong enough to be used in bridge construction.” As such, bamboo can replace or indirectly decrease consumption of three critically scarce resources: wood, metal and oil.
Bamboo is also indispensable in the fishing and banana industry. In Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, people use bamboo as material for making rafts, fishing rods, outriggers for bancas and for fish pens. In saltwater areas, bamboo is used as stakes in the culture of mussels and oysters.
In Davao City and nearby municipalities, bamboo poles are used as props to support fruit-bearing bananas.
Bamboo is also used in the manufacture of musical instruments like horns, clarinets, saxophones, flutes, piccolos, xylophones and drums. The world famous bamboo organ at the Roman Catholic Church of Las Piñas is a historic example of the importance of bamboo.
There are also sophisticated uses of bamboo — charcoal for electric batteries, liquid diesel fuel obtained by distillation, and enzymes and media for shoot extracts used for culturing disease-causing bacteria. The white powder produced on the outer surface of young culms for the isolation of a crystalline compound is medicinally useful.
Bamboo can also fight hunger. The young bamboo shoots are a good source of vitamins and minerals. In Thailand,bamboo salt seasoning and bamboo salt soybean paste can be bought in public markets. In the Philippines, bamboo shoots are cooked with saluyot and shrimps sautéed with coconut milk.
Bamboo shoots emerge during the wet or rainy season. About 7-17 days after emergence, they may be harvested for food. The shoots are harvested using a sharp bolo or hatchet. To harvest, a sharp crowbar may be used.
But there’s more to bamboo than its contribution to the economy. Unknowingly, it can also be used as weapon against climate change. It has been said that a hectare of bamboo is capable of isolating or removing up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide every year.
“It’s a pity that we have neglected this important crop for so long,” says Roy Alimoane, the director of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center, a non-government organization based in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.
But it’s never too late to plant bamboo now!
