DAVAO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Davao said a Canadian company will pour in around $2 million in Davao del Norte for a bamboo project commencing this year. Based on the report released by DTI-Davao on Wednesday, June 7, the bamboo project will consist of a processing plant at Anflo Industrial Estate in Panabo City and a 10,000-hectare plantation will be established within the ancestral areas of the province in partnership with the indigenous people. The project is seen to boost the local economy as it will create employment and generate domestic and export sales. According to its website, Pure Life Carbon claims to be a “clean-tech manufacturing company with a focus on the environment and food security,” providing the “world’s most advanced carbon-based agriculture products.” Jenny Grace M. Mendoza, DTI-Davao Regional Information Officer,  said in an interview that bamboo has been classified as a priority industry, aside from coffee, coconut, cacao, wearable and home styles, processed fruits and nuts, rubber, and  palm oil. She said that Davao del Norte is known for its thriving bamboo industry while efforts are being undertaken to promote bamboo in the province. Mendoza added that small players produce furnishings and furniture out of bamboo. She added that efforts in Davao del Sur are also being undertaken to develop its bamboo industry. According to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), bamboo, which belongs to the family of grasses, Gramineae or Poaceae, is regarded as one of the most economically significant non-timber forest products globally. It is a high-value crop given its many uses involving food and material for buildings, bridges, and furniture. With its ability to mitigate flood and soil erosion, bamboo has various economic and ecological benefits. The agency said the Philippines is sixth among the largest exporters of bamboo in the world. The estimated total area of bamboo stands in the Philippines ranges from 39,000 to 53,000 hectares, which can potentially produce an average of 36 million culms annually, according to DOST. It added that the Philippines has been actively producing and processing bamboo products for construction, furniture and handicraft manufacture, food, musical instruments, farm and fishing implements, pulp and paper, and fuel for cooking and heating.