Model bamboo house village soon to rise in Abra

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Undersecretary Edgar Manda announced the building of a model bamboo house community in Pidigan, Abra, before the Cordillera Bamboo Development (CorBamDev) Council general assembly at the Benguet State University here.

The announcement came with the bamboo house-designing contest launched last year with the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) unveiling a 30 square-meter proto-type bamboo house.

Manda, said LLDA will build 70 of these within its bamboo village pilot project in Abra province where the grass abounds.

“I wonder why the bamboo farmer could not build his bamboo house,” Manda said in amazement. He noted only about 100,000 people nationwide are now benefiting from the country’s bamboo industry. Total area planted to bamboo nationwide is about 50,000 hectares only, he continued.

LLDA continues promoting bamboo as material for construction, watershed planting and other uses to help synergize environmental protection and enterprise aspects of growing this grass.

The advocacy has been adopted by the Rotary Club of Makati Central (RCMC), and lately bamboo development councils nationwide started to emerge.

Bamboo is LLDA’s top choice for replanting denuded areas because of its effectiveness in minimizing soil erosion, according to Manda, who is its general manager. “This grass also gives out 35% more oxygen than other plant species,” Manda noted.

First Gentlemam Mike Arroyo unveiled a proto-type bamboo house in Laguna in October, last year. It costs some P60,000.

The contest will culminate with the judging in April. A grand prize of P100,000 awaits the winning architect or architectural students. Other consolation prizes are also at stake. Deadline for the submission of entries will be on March 5. Entry forms are available at the Benguet State University College of Forestry, where the CorBamDev holds office.

Bamboo houses, when properly treated, could last for 50 years, according to Forester Fatima Tangan of the local Department of Environment and Natural Resources, who was also in the same forum.

“Harvest only the mature trunk during the dry season,” she advised, to get optimum usefulness. # Lyn V. Ramo