ILOILO — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in partnership with the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO), is accelerating efforts to turn Iloilo’s vast bamboo resources into a sustainable source of livelihood, as the two agencies push forest communities to move beyond raw harvesting toward value-added bamboo handicraft entrepreneurship.
The initiative, being implemented in Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) areas in Maasin town, is positioning bamboo as a key non-timber forest product (NTFP) that can generate income while strengthening forest protection, particularly among members of the Katilingban sang Pumuluyo nga Naga-atipan sa Watershed sang Maasin (KAPAWA), a federation of people’s organizations.
DENR – Western Visayas’ regional executive director Raul Lorilla said the project proves that environmental conservation and livelihood generation can go hand in hand.
“We do not have to choose between protecting our forests and providing for our community; we can achieve both,” Lorilla said.
Under the program, KAPAWA members are being trained not only in bamboo processing techniques but also in enterprise development and marketing, marking a deliberate shift from the traditional “gather and sell” practice to producing higher-value bamboo furniture and handicrafts for wider markets.
Since its rollout last year, DENR-6 reported that multiple workshops have already been conducted to enhance technical skills, product quality, and sales strategies, enabling beneficiaries to turn bamboo into culturally inspired crafts that also provide supplemental income.
Bamboo’s fast growth cycle makes it a strategic resource for sustainable enterprise. Unlike hardwood species that require decades to mature, bamboo can reach full height within one growing season and attain structural strength in just three to five years, making it a renewable alternative for forest-dependent communities.
From January 6 to 8, Lorilla hosted representatives of the AFoCO Secretariat from South Korea and Vietnam, along with partners from the Forest Management Bureau and the NTFP-Exchange Program Philippines, for a three-day monitoring visit to assess project implementation.
The monitoring team reviewed training outcomes, validated financial utilization, and identified operational challenges to ensure that activities remain aligned with the project’s timeline and objectives.
Discussions during the visit also resulted in a strategic roadmap for the next phase of the initiative, with plans to expand training coverage and strengthen market linkages for bamboo products.
DENR-6 said the collaboration highlights how partnerships between government agencies and international organizations can transform forest conservation into a platform for inclusive economic growth, while reinforcing Iloilo’s emerging identity as a center for sustainable bamboo enterprise./PN
