DTI R2 holds priority industry council meetings
The Cagayan Valley Bamboo Industry Development Council (CVBIDC), chaired by DTI R2 and co-chaired by DENR R2 convened on 5 May 2023 at the Narra Hall, DENR R2, Carig Sur Tuguegarao City for its 1st council meeting for CY 2023. The meeting aims to generate updates on the status of the implementation of planned activities and consolidate the council’s activities, plans, and programs lined up for 2023.
“We have been strengthening our efforts in incorporating in our nursery establishment the production of bamboo aside from the indigenous tree species that we are producing,” revealed Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan of the DENR Region 2 who served as the presiding officer during the meeting.
RED Bambalan also mentioned that the agency is now promoting bamboo as an alternative to lumber, aside from its benefits as a solution to climate change.
“With the effort of the council, we can enhance our bamboo enterprise and make the livelihood of our local farmers more profitable,” said DTI R2 ARD Winston Singun as he highlighted the importance of bamboo as a viable economic and natural resource.
Moreover, it can be remembered that the DTI R2 and DENR R2 in partnership with other regional line agencies, state universities and colleges, local government units, and private sectors have been consistent in promoting bamboo and have conducted several bamboo planting activities in the past few years in celebration of the World Bamboo Day and Philippine Bamboo Month.
From 2011 to date, the DENR Region 2 reported a total of 4,401.2 hectares of established bamboo sites planted with 636,264 bayog, kawayan tinik and kiling under the National Greening Program including in areas covered by the Regional Build Back Better Task Force initiative of the government.
Furthermore, DTI R2 and other council members have presented their 1st Quarter accomplishment and their upcoming activities in support of the bamboo industry.
Ms. Mona Lisa Valle, DTI R2’s Resource Generation Officer presented the result of the Bamboo NICC meeting with the Cubo Modular where she revealed that Cubo, an award-winning Filipino company that uses innovative building technologies and rapidly renewable engineered bamboo to manufacture smart and sustainable Filipino homes, is in need of 6,000 tons of bamboo (giant bamboo and kawayan tinik species) in the next 3 years. This opportunity is assessed to be providing at least P215 million in potential sales for local e-bamboo processors.
Crafting of convergence plan among stakeholders, review of the Bamboo Bills filed in Congress, and management of bamboo database were also discussed during the council meeting.
CVBIDC members present during the meeting were DTI R2, DENR R2, DSWD F02, DA- RF02, DOLE R2, PhilExport R2, DILG R2, CDA R2, NEDA R2, DAR- R2, TESDA R2, DOST R2, CSU, QSU, ISU, NVSU Cagayan Provincial Bamboo Council, Isabela Provincial Bamboo Council, and Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Bamboo Council.
Moreover, on 16 may 2023, the Cagayan Valley Coffee Industry Development Council (CVCIDC) through the DTI Region 2 and DA RFO2 conducted the CVCIDC 1st Sem Meeting at the Negosyo Center Bldg., DTI R2, Carig Sur, Tuguegarao City.
The convergence allowed the council members to thoroughly discuss the updates, commitments, issues, and concerns of the coffee farmers in the industry.
“We need to make sure that we are not just producing volumes of coffee, but we are also producing high-quality coffee, and that means putting the effort to make sure that our coffee is being processed well,” said DTI R2 ARD Winston Singun as he delivered the message of DTI R2 RD Leah Pulido Ocampo.
Moreover, ARD also mentioned the assistance of DTI R2 in support of the industry such as capacity building training, provision of planting materials, market matching, and promotional activities among others.
“The DA experiment stations are putting their efforts towards improving the existing coffee varieties in the region and continuously procuring additional varieties that are said to be of good production,” said DA RFO2 RTD for Operations and Extension Roberto Busania, presiding officer, as he highlighted that the coffee industry should be developed in order to create more opportunities for the region’s coffee farmers.
DA RFO2’s 1st quarter accomplishments and Coffee Program/Projects/Activities for 2023 and Updates on the Localized Coffee Roadmap, Council Members’ 1st Quarter Accomplishments and Proposed Programs, Projects, and Activities in Support to the Coffee Industry, Presentation of Statistical Data on the Coffee Industry, and matters such as the upcoming Philippine Coffee Expo, TWG for Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) were discussed during the meeting.
In addition, it was seen that the coffee industry’s data play an important part in stirring the development of the industry, hence, the council invited the Philippine Statistics Authority Region 2 as a member of the council. This will ensure that the data of the industry will be updated and presented to the succeeding council meetings.
Furthermore, the CVCIDC is hopeful that the coffee entries for PCQC 2023 will result in a good outcome. During the council meeting, it was decided that the region will be participating in the Philippine Coffee Expo on June 2023 and the DA RFO2 and DTI R2 will be working hand-in-hand to assist the region’s exhibitors. The winners of the PCQC 2023 will be announced during the said coffee expo.
The meeting was also attended by Ms. Juliet Morales, co-chair (private), DENR, PCIC, DAR, TESDA, DOT, Provincial Coffee Councils, Isabela PLGU, and NVSU.
However, to ignite the competitiveness of the Cagayan Valley LGUs, the Regional Competitiveness Committee (RCC) convened on 19 May 2023 at the DTI R2 Negosyo Center Bldg., Carig Sur, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
The RCC, chaired by DTI Region 2, is tasked with regularly measuring local competitiveness indicators, formulating programs to improve the competitiveness of LGUs, and engaging in investment promotion activities to attract investors and create new jobs in the region.
The meeting that was presided over by DTI Region 2 RD Leah Pulido Ocampo served as an avenue for the RCC to discuss the expansion of the RCC, present their 2023 lined-up activities, be informed on the Philippine Quality Award (PQA) Regionalization Program, discuss the creation of the RCC Subcommittee on Performance Excellence (RCC-SPE), and be updated on the draft Cagayan Valley Regional Competitiveness Roadmap and the ways forward of the roadmap.
Several agreements made during the meeting include:
• inclusion of new members of the RCC and informing them of their inclusion in the committee;
• collaboration on PAPs between members;
• informing prospective members of the RCC Subcommittee on Performance Excellence (RCC-SPE) on their inclusion in the RCC-SPE, as well as their duties and responsibilities; and
• a workshop will be conducted to update the Cagayan Valley Regional Competitiveness Roadmap.
Present during the RCC meeting were representatives from DILG-R2, DICT-R2, NEDA-R2, PSA-R2, PCCI-R2, Cagayan State University (CSU), Isabela State University (ISU), Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU), and Quirino State University (QSU).
Posted on Facebook on May 10, 18 & 25 2023
Date of release: 25 May 2023
