Iloilo City – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region VI and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO Aklan), DENR collaborates in conducting a field learning event tackling the best practices in establishing a communal bamboo plantation at Brgy. Monlaque, Ibajay, Aklan last June 23, 2023. Mines and Geosciences Bureau VI with officer-in-charge, office of the regional director Cecilia L. Ochavo-Saycon, and PENRO Aklan headed by PENR Officer Merlene B. Aborka joined the participants from the Aklan provincial government, the Provincial Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committees (PMRFCs) of the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, and Iloilo, and the Peace Agreement Interbarangay Project Organization (PAIPO), a people’s organization.
The learning event provided the participants the opportunity to visit the communal bamboo plantation in Brgy. Monlaque, Ibajay, Aklan located in the upper portion of the barangay and is reachable after almost an hour of trekking. Through the actual field visit, the participants gained knowledge about selecting appropriate bamboo species, site preparation, propagation techniques, and sustainable cultivation practices that they can replicate in their respective areas.
The communal bamboo plantation in Ibajay, Aklan was established in 2020 through the collaboration of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Aklan, Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office VI, Aklan Sand and Gravel (SAG) Operators Association, Inc., the provincial government of Aklan and PAIPO, a people’s organization. PENRO Aklan provided 10,200 giant bamboo propagules, while the Aklan SAG Quarry Operators Association, Inc. provided the budgetary requirement for the establishment and maintenance of the communal bamboo plantation for three years.
PENR Officer Merlene B. Aborka gave a brief on the project. She cited the success indicators of a bamboo plantation project. At year 2, bamboo is fast growing in height at an average of 2 meters. The plantation’s survival is above the requirement of 86% with Site 1 in Monlaque, Ibajay at 94%. The collaboration has delivered 50 hectares of Bamboo projects funded by the sand gravel permittees through the Mine Rehabilitation Fund. The PO members said that the bamboo plantation project helped 18 families providing them with income when the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected them.
The learning event marked a significant milestone in promoting collaborative efforts in achieving the vision of a stable environment through greening our forestlands and other suitable areas as a way to develop climate change mitigation and adaptation systems. It showcased the benefits of bamboo plantations as a sustainable alternative for economic development and job creation. Moreover, bamboo’s ability to sequester carbon dioxide and promote environmental sustainability makes it an invaluable tool in combating climate change. (MGB VI)
