MAY 11, 2012 DATE

NR # 2736
REF. NO.

Solon wants bamboo chairs and desks for public schools to promote bamboo industry
A lady legislator has filed a bill requiring the Department of Education (DepEd) to annually procure school desks and/or armchairs for public elementary and secondary schools nationwide made from Philippine bamboo to promote and strengthen the countrys bamboo industry. Rep. Sharon Garin (AAMBIS-Owa Party-list) said House Bill 4920 aims to promote, strengthen and create jobs through the local bamboo industry by prescribing its scientific propagation, processing, utilization, and business development as a priority program. HB 4920 seeks to use bamboo as planting material for annual reforestation and rehabilitation program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Aside from the reforestation program, Garin also aims to use bamboo in livelihood programs. The Department of Labor and Employment, in cooperation with the Council and local government units, shall formulate and implement bamboo livelihood programs with preference employment to special groups and organizations of Person with Disabilities (PWDs), marginalized sectors, the unemployed, and retrenched Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). The livelihood program shall include appropriate trainings and/or skill-retooling components to be provided by the Commission on Information and Communications Technologies (CICT) in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) or allied government institutions. The bill is also pushing for the creation of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Coordinating Council (PBIDCC), which will be referred to as the Council, administratively attached to the Department of Trade and Industry. The Councils function will be the coordinating council of all the activities of various agencies and instrumentalities to ensure the success of the Philippine Bamboo Framework for Development. The Council will be composed of the Secretary of DTI as chairman, Undersecretary of DTI-regional Operations and Development Group (DTI-RODG) as head of the council secretariat, Executive Director of the CICT as Head of the Bamboo Technical Working Group. Other members of the council includes the Secretaries of the following agencies,

MAY 11, 2012 DATE

NR # 2736
REF. NO.

DENR, Department of Agriculture (DA), DepEd, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Science and Technologies (DOST), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Representatives from the following; League of the Municipalities of the Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines, representative from a reputable Private Industry Association, from Bamboo farmers/producers or processors, and from a non-governmental Organization. The Philippine Bamboo Framework for Development shall formulate a ten-year framework for development and shall serve as guide to the formulation and implementation of plans, projects, programs, and policies for the scientific propagation, processing, utilization, and business development of the Philippine Bamboo. To further encourage farmers, producers, processors and exporters of bamboo and bamboo products, the bill provides that an incentive such as cash reward, and tax exemption be given to them in recognition of their efforts and cooperation to the development of the bamboo industry. (30) sb