Bamboo as a sustainable textile fiber source

The Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Ms. Cynthia Villar, urged the public and concerned government agencies to continue propagating bamboo due to its many economic and ecological benefits. By 2030, bamboo is expected to have a trade value of $ 88.43 billion and would contribute $ 3.5 billion to the Philippine economy. 

Utilizing bamboo as a textile will help the local textile industry and spur development in the countryside. Bamboo has at least 35 percent textile fiber recovery unlike other sources of fiber, which have only 2 percent. Thus, a reliable source of sustainable textile fiber is available throughout the nations. Bamboo fibers may be used to make household textiles and clothes and can also be utilized to make nonwoven materials like bags and shoes.

Senate Bill No. 2513, also known as the “Kawayan Act,” aims to establish the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council as the central body for overall policy and program direction for all bamboo stakeholders. The Council is also mandated to formulate and implement the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Roadmap. Its provisions requiring the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and their attached agencies to use bamboo in government programs and to scale up the use, investment promotions, research, and development of bamboo, the Kawayan Act will further offer a comprehensive approach to the development of the bamboo industry.