THE Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Office (PENRO) in Pangasinan is eyeing massive planting of bamboo next year for environmental protection and flood mitigation.

Raymundo Gayo, PENRO head, said there were no planting of seedlings in new sites this year, only maintenance and protection continue.

“To ensure higher survival, we prepared first high-quality seedlings for planting next year,” Gayo said.

He said the seedlings, like forest trees, were grown in bigger size first to ensure they can survive.

An announced policy priority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) proliferation of bamboo trees as a livelihood activity. 

Bamboo will also address the increasing demand for it because of technology that can make bamboo into wood for houses, furniture, among others.

Gayo said the kawayan tinik (Bambusa blumeana) variety is native to the Philippines and a group of investors already invested in a 10,000 hectare bamboo plantation in the central part of Pangasinan.

Today, there is a high demand for kawayan tinik in China. 

The National Greening Program will also plant bamboo in about 100 to 200 hectares across Pangasinan, he said.

Bamboo is an all-weather planting material and has high absorptive capacity for carbon dioxide and for quality air. These can be cut within five years. 

Since the thrust in bamboo planting will require deployment of additional forest guards in Pangasinan, more forest guards will also address forest fire. (PhilStar Wire Service/ECV)

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