Philippine Bamboo Month declaration hailed
FORMER Deputy Speaker Deogracias Victor Savellano has lauded former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for declaring September of every year as the “Philippine Bamboo Month”.
Savellano, one of the staunch advocates of bamboo propagation in the country and co-author of House Bill (HB) No. 7069 or the Philippine Bamboo Month Act, said Malacañang’s Proclamation No. 1401 would be a big boost to the bamboo industry.
According to Savellano, the uses of bamboo in the country “span from crib to grave.”
Bamboo is used as furniture and handicraft, effectively controlling soil erosion and in land restoration.
Bamboo shoots are also being used as an ingredient in recipes.
“The resiliency of bamboo against various environmental disasters represents the resilient spirit of the Filipino people against similar vicissitudes in life,” Savellano said.
To recall, then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in Executive Order (EO) No. 879 dated May 14, 2010, created the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC), which is mandated to “provide the overall policy and program directions for the bamboo industry.”
In President Duterte’s proclamation, PBIDC is being directed to lead and promote the observance of the Philippine Bamboo Month.
“Ten years ago, the 1st World Bamboo Day was celebrated in Bangkok, Thailand. This year, it is likely to be celebrated on September 18. It is gaining momentum around the world,” Savellano said.
