Farmers to benefit from Mindanao’s 1st bamboo fiber hub
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) – More than 80 local farmers from the Kapunungan sa mga Maguuma sa Simbalan Inc. (KAMASI) will directly benefit from Mindanao’s first Bamboo Textile Fiber Innovation Hub (BTFIH) through a secured market arrangement with the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI).
Through
the innovation hub, the farmers now have guaranteed buyers for their bamboo
produce, as DOST-PTRI will buy the processed bamboo fibers for use in textile
development, particularly for the upcoming Regional Yarn Production and
Innovation Center (RYPIC) in Kabacan, North Cotabato.
This
initiative not only adds value to bamboo as a renewable resource but also
creates a steady and sustainable source of income for the farmer-members.
“Aduna na
kami segurado nga mopalit sa among mga tanum nga kawayan. Dugang pa kini sa
among panginabuian, (We now have a guaranteed buyer for our bamboo plants. This
will be an added source of livelihood for us),” said Charlito J. Dutosme,
chairperson of KAMASI, expressing the farmers’ gratitude for their potential
income from planting bamboo.
Located
in Sitio Cabayugan, Barangay Simbalan, the new hub is equipped to process up to
40 kilograms of raw bamboo fiber per day, providing farmers access to advanced
processing technologies and enabling them to actively participate in the
expanding textile industry.
Highlighting
the importance of the initiative, Noel M. Ajoc, regional director of DOST,
described the hub as historic, calling it a “bridge between the grassroots and
the global market.” He emphasized that the facility marks the first step in
creating textiles from local bamboo, with the farmers’ outputs undergoing
further processing through DOST-PTRI’s support.
Ajoc also
expressed hope that through the establishment of the hub, the municipality of
Buenavista will soon emerge as the textile capital of the Caraga region.
Meanwhile,
Agusan del Norte Gov. Ma. Angelica Rosedell Amante pledged the provincial
government’s continuing support to further strengthen the project, including
providing additional infrastructure needs such as solar power to help improve
operations.
Amante
called on the members of KAMASI to sustain the gains of the project through
unity and hard work: “Naa sa inyong pagtinabangay ug kagugi ang mamahimong
makapalambo sa inyong kooperatiba ug sa inyong panginabuhian.” (Success will
come from your cooperation and perseverance in strengthening your cooperative
and livelihood.)
Buenavista
Mayor Joselito T. Roble likewise underscored the significance of the project,
saying that the hub will create a meaningful impact on the lives of the KAMASI
members as direct beneficiaries of the technology. He expressed deep gratitude
to the DOST for its unwavering support to farmers — from the provision of new
technologies to the rollout of transformative projects like the bamboo
innovation hub.
The Bamboo Textile Fiber Innovation Hub (BTFIH) in Agusan del Norte, a pioneering initiative in Mindanao, marks a major milestone in the Philippine textile sector as it strengthens the pivotal role of innovation and science in uplifting rural economies. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte)
