Cotabamboo InDevCon

Summary of Minutes and Proceedings of the Bamboo Industry Development Meeting The Meeting started at exactly 8:15 am by leading the group of participants into the Boy Scout Grass of Hope Nursery Project. The Launching and dedication was led by Pastor Bautista Buan DD. It was attended by BSP Adult leaders, senior scouts and the school Principal, Rosalinda T. Lonzaga, School Divisions Superintendent Ernesto C. Ariaga, Chamber of Commerce Board of Director Chairman Dan C. Zambrano, school administrators and stakeholders. It was started with a prayer and cutting of ribbon and officially declaring the Bamboo Nursery was open for business, the bamboo seedlings to be planted along riverbanks and fallowed land will be sold at Php 30.00 per piece. The business sharing shall be 60% - goes to BSP Outfit 177, 30% goes to Chamber of Commerce and the remaining 10% goes to the school for space rental and water bill. After the cutting of ribbon, the group proceeds to the Home Economics building to formally start the meeting proper. It was commenced with a prayer by the MKCCIFI BOD Adelfa C. Dalumpines – the Leader of the Focus Group of Chamber BOD on Bamboo Industry Development. Welcome address given by Madam Rosalinda Lonzaga, the School Principal and followed by the word of support by the SDS Ernesto C. Ariaga as the Institutional Market of the engineered bamboo in the final form as chairs, desks tables and cabinets. Kidapawan City Schools Division Superintendent Ernesto C. Ariaga had stressed that Sec. Armin Luistro had made a strong expression that armchairs, desks, tables and furniture supplied to DepEd should be made of bamboo and not wood since the issuance of Total Log Ban in EO 26 of PNoy. The challenge is up with the council, there is no present manufacturer of the said market demand of DepEd and the need of the chairs in the anticipated opening of classes, the K to 12 program and the EFA would be interpreted as more chairs, desks, classrooms and furniture are needed. Presentation of the DTI perspective on bamboo industry development framework and the value chain – the downstream process was presented by Angelito Villar – DTI North Cotabato – bamboo industry point person. Three (3) reactors were entertained regarding the presentation, Kagawad Canay of President Roxas raised a discussion that, ...”there were many organizing process done in the past and farmers were encouraged to plant bamboo because of the promising potential and market, and after the series of meetings, organizers were gone into oblivion and nowhere to be found, what would be the future of the said re-organizing and advocacy campaign for bamboo and where would it be going?...”DTI Angelito Villar replied that he has no idea who organizes the said activity in President Roxas, probably, during that year, the marketing scheme for bamboo industry is not visible and stakeholders had not appreciated yet the potential of bamboo. Integrated Rural Development Foundation representative Generosa Catedrilla had asked that there was a council formed last 2009 and what happened to that council. Rimmon Paren answered that on 2009, the elected chairman was then Governor Susing Sacdalan and since the group could not get commitment from the council chairman, it was then agreed to have an audience with the governor with the initiative coming from the vice-chairman and from the representative of the provincial government Mernie Commendador, the plan was never materialized and the group died a natural death. Assurance for the sustainability of the said organizing process of a new bamboo council was the council chairman should come from Private Sector and one who really understand the bamboo and its potential, not for political motive but for the environment and poverty reduction. Composition of the officers should be multi represented and the National Bamboo Council (PBIDC) with the members of the Government Agencies are mandatory members, to wit; DOST, DTI, DA, DENR, DEPED with representative from CSO/NGO, provincial LGU in Planning and Economic Development Office. Other members are to be decided by the Board of the Bamboo Council. Rizal Curutan of the Cotabato Ecology Society Workers Association stated that there was a 600(+/-) hectares of forest conservation area in Amas, Kidapawan City which was declared under the Provincial Environment Code and it could be developed with the thrust of the newly formed council. Dr. Masaru Imada, an Adjunct professor of UP Mindanao – a Japanese Consultant with PhD Degree in Biochemistry, an expert in animal tissue culture, presented the opportunity of the Bamboo industry in North Cotabato by showing to the group the Japanese ingenuity that explores deeply the potential of the bamboo as part of the engineering structure as being developed by the Veneering machine inventor Tsuji Aki in Hamamatsu, Japan, the home of Yamaha products. Dr Imada further stated that he is looking into bringing the technology of the in vitro tissue culture for the bamboo particularly the species used for the engineered bamboo. He had made an initial communication with Dr. Shinjiro Ogita of Toyama University and the tissue culture expert in bamboo propagation will be coming here in Philippines this year. Engr. Tsuji Aki, also a friend of Dr. Imada will pay a visit here in the Philippines this August to discuss his interest over the Mindanao Bamboos and Mr. Tsuji Aki had promised that he will be sending the machines needed for the processing of the Engineered Bamboo (from start to finish) as his way of extending help to Filipinos, and this is for free. Those machines and equipment will just follow later on December to the year 2013, as relayed by Dr. Imada. Mutual cooperation from the council and line government agencies will be sought out for the necessary documents and fees in transporting the said machines. Location of the establishment of processing center and where the machine should be established needs to be considered also by the bamboo council. After the exchange of ideas, comments and suggestions, the group decided to proceed to the election of the Board of Directors, officers of the Cotabato Bamboo Industry Development Council (Cotabamboo InDevCon) and the list of officers are, to viz; Chairman: MARIO CALAYCO – MACLANZON – Pres. Roxas., Cotabato Vice- Chairman: DAN C. ZAMBRANO – BOD Chairman – Chamber of Commerce Secretariat: ANGELITO VILLAR - DTI Treasurer: ADELFA C. DALUMPINES – Chamber of Commerce Auditor: GENEROSA CATEDRILLA – CDO - IRDF Board of Directors: 1. Hon. Lauro Taynan Jr., - Sangguniang Panglungsod - Kidapawan City LGU 2. Karl Jones R. Tanaid – Magpet Municipal Toursim Office – Magpet LGU 3. Allan James C. Lapason – MAFC – Chairman – Pigcawayan LGU 4. Rizal D. Curutan – CESWA 5. Dr. Roberto A. Omandac – Boy Scout of the Philippines – Cotabato Council 6. Nelda R. Tejada – Chamber of Commerce – M’lang, Cotabato 7. Salvador G. Himulatan – Wood Processors Sector 8. Roger S. Papellera – Print Media 9. Rimmon A. Paren – Bamboo Advocate – Chamber of Commerce After the election, the newly elected Chairman, Mario Calayco had made a brief statement on his commitment as the tasks were laid down on him. He briefly emphasized that Pres. Roxas and the rest of the area in North Cotabato Province was not spared by the magnanimous and devastating effect of the law of nature, and it’s time to take concrete and sustainable action, and the problem , he believes, could be partially, if not totally solved by the bamboo plant. Moreover, there was that daily disaster that needs to be addressed, the poverty and lack of opportunity to generate adequate income as these could also be answered by the miracle plant, bamboo. Sangguniang Panglungsod Member Hon. Lauro Taynan Jr., had been moved to support the current trend of bamboo industry development, although he helped in a way, the rubber industry, he had witnessed during the meeting the future of the bamboo and its environmental and social impact. With this new insight, he committed One Million Pesos (Php 1,000,000.00) to help the council and the industry development. The fund will be sourced out from his discretionary fund as member of the city council and the fund will be utilized in the purchase of bamboo seedlings, labor and other incidentals in planting the bamboo along the riverbanks within Kidapawan City. The first meeting of the Cotabamboo InDevCon (CBIDC) will be on June 22, 2012 @ 1:00 pm in Metro Kidapawan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Fdn. Inc. office, initial agenda would be the formal installation of office thru the Oath Taking Ceremony, selection process of the Government agencies to be a strategic partner of the council, registration of the council to SEC and prior preparations of paper works and strategic planning for the activities of the council. The meeting was concluded with closing remarks from the BSP Unit Leader – Dr. Nena Paren followed thereafter with the distribution of certificate of participation, and finally a closing prayer from BSP Adult Leader – Rosalinda Morada.