THE Philippines is set to implement bamboo initiatives worth P100.05 million this year focusing on international trade and marketing.

To be led by the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC), this aims to showcase Filipino advancements in bamboo construction and related goods.

"Bamboo is an industry where we have huge potential to earn from export. This is why PBIDC is putting up with our present budgetary lack to promote our products that are really world-class," said Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Deogracias Victor Savellano, who is also the PBIDC vice chairman.

One of its initiatives is the First Bamboo Conference and Exhibition focusing on architecture, interior design and construction. A budget of P8 million has been earmarked, of which P5 million will be coming from the Department of Science and Technology.

Another P24 million is being allocated by the PBIDC for the Nationwide Nursery Establishment and Management this year. It will also dedicate a budget of P5 million to the Bamboo Inventory and Technology-Enabled Mapping project aimed at aiding the detection of current bamboo plantations through inventory and technology-driven mapping.

"Inventory mapping of bamboo plantations will be critical now that many private companies have started investing in bamboo product manufacturing," said PBIDC Executive Director Rene Butch Madarang.

The government will also invest on establishing nurseries by allocating a budget of P4 million. The Philippine Bamboo road map is also being updated with a budget of P5.55 million.

Furthermore, the Philippines is prioritizing participation in international programs like the Bamboo Industry Immersion Program in Taiwan and China, allocating P3 million for this purpose.

The country has also started producing engineered bamboo, which has the potential to replace wood imports valued at P400 billion. In line with this, the PBIDC is backing this initiative through the Value Chain Analysis for Bamboo as an Architectural and Construction Material. For this year, P5.5 million has been earmarked for this research.