A 30-hectare bamboo plantation in the Montalban upland in Sierra Madre mountain has been put up by a multi-sectoral group to give live livelihood to Dumagat tribes, replenish forestry and capture carbon.
The Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) is proposing to replicate nationwide the 20-hectare Karugo and 10-hectare Puray bamboo projects in Montalban.
The projects are part of the Marikina Watershed, a portion of the Sierra Madre mountains that hold the water without whose forests Marikina and the entire Metro Manila could be flooded.
The Karugo and Puray bamboo projects in Montalban, Rizal are an ideal multi-agency collaboration that involves minimal budget, according to PBIDC vice chairman Deogracias Victor Savellano.
The Kilusang 5K (Kawayan: Kalikasan, Kaunlaran, Kabuhayan, Kinabukasan) Foundation, founded by Savellano, has supported the organization of Puray and Karugo projects. The bamboo propagules planted in 2022 in Karugo is estimated to multiply to 142,000 bamboo culms in five years and 228,000 culms in eight years.
Savellano said PBIDC is coordinating all bamboo projects and agencies. Thus, such replication can be implemented in every town in the country–as what has been done by Savellano’s former constituents in Ilocos Sur.
Lead collaborator is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources which identified the project site. Kilusang 5K tapped the Philippine Bamboo Foundation and Bamboo Professionals Inc. to provide training on bamboo propagation.
Instead of planting hardwood that takes 10 to 20 years to harvest, bamboo was chosen as it is harvestable in three years, generating income to the community.
Bamboo plants are climate disaster fighters. Bamboo, at four years old, has been proven to absorb 500 kilos of carbon dioxide yearly. It generates 300 kilos more of oxygen per year compared to other trees. Bamboo plants hold more water than other trees, helping prevent erosion and flooding. It has a high survival rate due to endemicity and maintenance care.
The 10-hectare Puray project is now generating a P300 per day income for farmers who do potting for growing seedlings. While generating income from selling seedlings, the vision for the bamboo projects is to produce commercially viable products.
The Montalban projects are part of the bigger Upper Marikina Watershed Project (five municipalities/cities in the Sierra Madre mountains). It covers an estimated 26,000 hectares. It is envisioned to address persistent flooding in Marikina and Metro Manila as a whole.
The watershed also protects the Wawa Dam which is capable of producing water for 500,000 households.
