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WHEREAS, the government is committed to protect and conserve the national patrimony and advance the right of the people to a healthful environment;

WHEREAS, the government is committed to promote industrialization based on agricultural development and agrarian reform through industries that make full and efficient use of human and natural resources and which are competitive in both domestic and foreign markets;

WHEREAS, the Philippines has committed to reforest at least 500,000 hectares with bamboo as part of the 1 million hectares of designated areas as its contribution to the ASEAN commitment of 20 million hectares of new forest by 2020 as part of its initiatives to improve the environment;

WHEREAS, it has been established that planting and use of bamboo will significantly contribute to the mitigation of climate change and disaster management considering its carbon capture capability and cheaper reforestation cost. Further, bamboo can be easily transformed into a cash crop for farmers and community-based forest management agreement holders who engaged in its cultivation thereby alleviating poverty;

WHEREAS, the growing advocacy for green products is fueling the rapid growth of the US$ 8 billion dollar per annum market for traditional and non-traditional bamboo products, is fast becoming a cost effective and attractive complement and/or alternative to plastic, metal and wood materials and can generate more jobs and self-employment opportunities in both rural and urban areas;

WHEREAS, there is need to assist Local Government Units (LGU) to promote and establish bamboo plantations, crafts and products in flood and landslide prone areas, idle and marginalized agricultural lands, upland areas particularly covered by the Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) and the resettlement of informal settlers from vital waterways;

WHEREAS, there is a need to aggressively promote the product development and market access of bamboo products to sustain the development of the bamboo industry; NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) – The Philippine Bamboo Industry Development shall be made a priority program of the government and the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) is hereby created to provide the over-all policy and program directions of the program for all stakeholders.

1. Composition – The PBIDC shall be composed of the following:

a. Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry as Chair;
b. Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources;
c. Secretary of the Department of Agriculture;
d. Secretary of the Department of Education;
e. Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology;
f. Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment;
g. Chair of the Executive Committee;
h. League of Municipalities of the Philippines;
i. Two (2) Representatives from Non-Governmental Organizations;
j. One (1) Representative each from two (2) Private Industry Associations.

2. Executive Committee. – To assist the PBDIC in terms of program/project identification and resource generation, an Executive Committee, headed by the DTI Undersecretary for Regional Operations and Development Group (RODG) shall likewise be created with the membership composition to be identified by the PBDIC.

3. Functions of the Executive Committee. – The Executive Committee shall direct the preparation of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Plan 2010-2020 and shall identify prioritize and recommend initial strategic interventions, research directions and critical data needs while the Development Plan is being drawn up.

4. Secretariat. – The Executive Committee shall be assisted by a Bamboo Technical Working Group which will serve as the Secretariat headed by the Executive Director of the Cottage Industry Technology Center (CITC) and composed of representatives designated by the members of the PBDIC. The Secretariat shall identify the gaps in the bamboo industry supply-value chain and determine the most appropriate activities to address those gaps.

SECTION 2. Department of Education. – The Department of Education (DEP-ED) shall procure the equivalent of at least twenty percent (20%) of the annual school desks and arm chairs requirement of all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.

SECTION 3. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through the Forest Management Bureau (FMB), Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), and other concerned offices shall use bamboo as the planting material for at least twenty percent (20%) of its annual reforestation and rehabilitation areas especially in provinces and towns which are engaged in or have the potential to engage in bamboo-based industries or where trees are difficult to grow because of poor site quality, susceptibility to erosion or adverse and steep gradients. DENR, through the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) and other concerned offices, shall continuously generate bamboo production technology which shall be transferred and disseminated to farmers.

SECTION 4. Department of Agriculture. – The Department of Agriculture (DA) shall identify idle and marginalized agricultural areas suitable for bamboo plantations. This should be done without sacrificing areas used for food production. DA shall assist in establishing bamboo nurseries and in bamboo propagation with focus on bamboo shoots production.

SECTION 5. Department of Science and Technology.- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through its appropriate bureaus and offices like the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) and Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), shall undertake the research and transfer of technologies which can reduce production costs and increase the saleability of bamboo products such as bamboo shoots processing and packaging, alternative adhesives and finishes, and effective yet affordable treatment and preservation techniques. It shall likewise allocate twenty percent (20%) of its MSME assistance funds such as SET-UP and TAPI Venture Capital to bamboo based enterprises.

SECTION 6. Department of Labor and Employment. – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) shall identify and enroll in the program special groups or organizations such as organizations of persons with disabilities, the marginalized, and the like, who are in a very strategic position to advance the bamboo industry;

SECTION 7. League of Municipalities of the Philippines. – The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) shall provide coordinative support in partnership with LGUs for the development of the bamboo industry.

SECTION 8. Non-Governmental Organizations. – Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and private sector representatives shall lead in advocating the planting and utilization of bamboo nationwide and in providing market information, research market development and other similar undertakings.

SECTION 9. Funding. – The initial funding of Twenty Million Pesos (P20,000,000.00) to support the operations of the PBIDC shall be provided by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the DTI-RODG for its initial operation and administration. The annual budgetary requirements of the PBIDC shall be appropriated to the DT-RODG while the budgetary requirements of the cooperating agencies shall be incorporated in their respective budget as locally-funded projects until 2020. The PBIDC may raise funds from other sources for specific projects as may be authorized by law.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. – All executive issuances, rules, regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any of the provisions hereof are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 11. Effectivity. – This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

(SGD.) GLORIA M. ARROYO

  BY THE PRESIDENT: 

  (SGD.) LEANDRO R. MENDOZA
  Executive Secretary