Soap-making technology using bamboo has been introduced to two municipalities in Davao del Norte by the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) of the Department of Science and Technology.
As guest of the recent episode of the radio program Sayron Ta! Pakigsayod, Davao del Norte Provincial Science and Technology Office (PSTO) Director Judy Donna Nueva Ecija said FPRDI conducted the bamboo soap-making on March 25 and 26, 2022 with bamboo planters from the municipalities of Asuncion and Sto. Tomas.
She said 30 individual bamboo planters of Barangay Binancian in Asuncion, and 30 also from Sto Tomas were trained on this technology using small pieces and chopped off parts of bamboos burned into charcoal and made as the primary ingredient of an anti-bacterial soap.
FPRDI partners to this training were the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), she said.
“Pwede sila maghimo sa sabon kay mapalit lang man ang ubang ingredient sa sabon, pwede sab nilang ibaligya ang charcoal. (They can made the soap themselves as soap ingredients can be purchased or they can sell the charcoal),” she said highlighting the added value to chopped off bamboo pieces as waste materials of bamboo furniture-making.
Nueva Ecija also put emphasis on the anti-bacterial properties of bamboos saying “this is supported with studies by the FPRDI.”
Nueva Ecija revealed that introducing the bamboo soap-making technology is part of Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) program of DOST to maximize local resources that could become sources of income. (PIA XI/ Jean Duron Abangan)
