The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) represented by DENR 6 Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran on behalf of Secretary Jim O. Sampulna recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote the growth of the bamboo industry in Guimaras during the 1^st Guimaras Bamboo Summit 2022 held at Guimaras Mountain Resort, Piña, Buenavista, Guimaras.

Province of Guimaras representative, Governor Samuel Gumarin, the Clean Air Philippines Movement, Inc. (CAPMI) chair, Dr. Michael Raymond Aragon, Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council Executive Director Rene Madarang, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Secretary Isidro Lapeña, Department of Trade and Industry VI Director Rebecca Rascon, and CAPMI-Western Visayas director Maggie Cacho all signed the MOU to signify their active support and commitment to the Province of Guimaras in promoting its bamboo industry.

RED Livino B. Duran emphasized the importance of bamboo in our economy and in the environment.

“Bamboo has many uses and has proven itself to have vital contributions to the national economy and ecological stability of the country. It reduces the need for timber resources, and helps greatly in carbon sequestration,” said RED Duran.

“We can also look into the use of bamboo for poverty reduction and as one of the sources of income for our local farmers. With the collaboration and coordination of the government agencies this will become possible. The National Greening Program (NGP) of the DENR will concentrate on production, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and DENR will focus on the supply of bamboo, and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will go into processing and later on marketing,” he added.

The Summit was organized by the Clean Air Philippines Movement, Inc. (CAMPI); Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) and Province of Guimaras.

DENR stands as the lead agency in implementing the sustainable management of natural resources through resource conservation, protection, and productivity enhancement. It continues and will continue to support the planting of bamboos in order to rehabilitate all the remaining unproductive, denuded and degraded forestlands as well as to provide livelihood to local farmers and help boost our economy. The Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP) is one of the top ten (10) priority programs of the DENR.