A bamboo weavers association in the Tingguian community of Nueva Era town in Ilocos Norte levels up its products with a bamboo processing shared service facility from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“From their manual operation of bamboo processing and weaving, the equipment turned over by the DTI to them will help a lot to enhance the quality of their products, increase income and generate more jobs in the community,” DTI-Ilocos Norte provincial director Amelia Galvez said in an interview Wednesday.

The shared service facility for bamboo costs over PHP500,000. It consists of various equipment and machines to make the processing of bamboo more efficient and less laborious.

During the launching of the project in Barangay Uguis on March 10, Galvez challenged the beneficiaries to “cultivate the right mindset and attitude and work cohesively as a group” to attract new opportunities for the development of the bamboo industry.

She said the practice on sustainable bamboo farming should be observed to ensure a continuous source of raw materials.

To date, the Gunglo Dagiti Aglaglaga ti Nueva Era continues to produce bamboo handicrafts such as baskets, fruit trays, planters and wall decors.

With the shared service facility, association members said they are inspired to produce more diversified products and cater to the needs of the market.

In partnership with various stakeholders, Ilocos Norte is taking significant steps to strengthen its bamboo industry as part of enhancing the local economy, protect the environment, and improve agricultural practices.

Among these measures include the provision of livelihood to local communities to take good care of their existing bamboo poles and partnering with the state-run Mariano Marcos State University, which has expertise in bamboo propagation and processing; and train more farmers to rehabilitate their bamboo plantations while growing new species to boost their productivity.

The continuing program is under the so-called “Kakawayanak Aywanak” (Taking care of my bamboo), which was started in Barangay Camandingan in the city of Batac to rehabilitate the bamboo industry to boost livelihood and mitigate the impact of climate change. (PNA)