Giant Timber Bamboo or Dendrocalamus Giganteus, An Alternative To Hardwood

Did you know that with our population soaring high, the demand for construction materials such as the hardwood or the so called good lumber, as well as carbon emission also soars directly proportional. 

Dendrocalamus Giganteus

The scarcity of such material in our local markets, leaves the end users at the mercy of the importers who tag the lumbers at a prohibitive price. The rampant cutting of trees also diminished the recycling of carbon dioxide to clean breathable air.  

The best alternative to mitigate this man made predicament is the use of giant timber bamboos also known as the Dragon Bamboo (Dendrocalamus Giganteus).

Bamboos are considered as grass, and as such, there would be no need to secure a timber cutting permit from the DENR, each harvest time.

Guadua Angustifolia

Some Bamboo farmers procure their bamboo seedlings at The Los Banos, Laguna Bamboo Nursery which costs somewhere Php150.00 to 200.00 apiece, depending on the kind and origin of the bamboo species.

Some other bamboo of the timber varieties such the Guadua Angustifolia,  is one the best timber bamboo species in the world. 

Bamboos grow rapidly and can be harvested at its 4th to 6th year, depending on its intended use. A 4 year-old bamboo is normally used for utensils and ornamental purposes, while a 5 year-old bamboo is normally used for furniture, cabinets and tables. A 6 year-old bamboo is for building houses and other construction purposes. 

Waste products are used for making charcoal briquettes used for grilling and cooking, and some other appropriate uses.

Bamboos are known for their CO2 sequestration ability, erosion control, wind breakers among others. Bamboo converts about 35% more CO2 into oxygen than ordinary tree. An acre [4,046.86sqm] of bamboo can fix approximately 25 metric tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.

On May 2010, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 879 creating the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) which aimed to promote the Bamboo Industry Development Projects in the country. It also directed the use of bamboo for at least twenty five (25%) percent of the desk and other furniture requirements of public elementary and secondary schools and also for other construction requirement of government. An initial funding of Php20,000,000.00 was also provided.

Rev Revolve Timber Corporation (Phil.), partnering with M&M Farms, Inc. of the Victoria family, the country's pioneer in bamboo industry, has over a hundred hectares of bamboo plantation consisting of different species of bamboo. Bamboo panels, Plybamboo, bamboo tiles, are just a few of their bestsellers.

They offer bamboo contract growing consortium to owners of big tracks of lands and agricultural cooperatives. They provide the bamboo seedlings and other agricultural support for bamboo propagation, and at harvest time, buys the bamboo culms at a predetermined price. They also give assistance in formulation and organization of agricultural cooperatives. 

They can be contacted at 09183431934 for Jun and 09424077717 for Zaldy.