Kawayan Collective, a bamboo-processing facility located in Dauin, Negros Oriental, received a P2.3 million fund from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
DOST, in a press statement on Friday, March 4, said that the fund will be used to build an eco-dryer designed by the DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI).
“The project aims to enable the efficient and sustainable local production of innovative engineered bamboo products primarily for the domestic market while developing the capacity and skill-level of local suppliers,” said Atty. Gilbert Arbon, provincial Science and Technology Center – Negros Oriental director.
Arbon added that with the help of this project, local suppliers will be able to process, treat, and distribute Filipino bamboo as a sustainable construction material.
Through the project, the Kawayan Collective could also increase its production of engineered bamboo panels from 132 to 300 panels monthly.