Creation of PH Bamboo Industry Development Council

An Executive Committee is created to assist the PBIDC with program/project identification and resource generation (Section 1).
The Executive Committee is headed by the DTI Undersecretary for Regional Operations and Development Group (RODG) (Section 1).
The Executive Committee’s membership composition is identified by the PBIDC (Section 1).
The Executive Committee directs the preparation of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Plan 2010-2020 (Section 1).
The Executive Committee identifies, prioritizes, and recommends initial strategic interventions, research directions, and critical data needs while the Development Plan is being drawn up (Section 1).
The Executive Committee is assisted by a Bamboo Technical Working Group that serves as the Secretariat (Section 1).
The Bamboo Technical Working Group is headed by the Executive Director of the Cottage Industry Technology Center (CITC) and is composed of representatives designated by the PBIDC members (Section 1).
The Secretariat identifies gaps in the bamboo industry supply-value chain and determines the most appropriate activities to address those gaps (Section 1).

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 2).

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 (Section 3).
DENR’s bamboo planting is especially directed to provinces and towns engaged in or with potential to engage in bamboo-based industries (Section 3).
DENR’s bamboo planting is also directed to areas where trees are difficult to grow due to poor site quality, susceptibility to erosion, or adverse and steep gradients (Section 3).
DENR, through the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) and other concerned offices, shall continuously generate bamboo production technology for transfer and dissemination to farmers (Section 3).

The Department of Agriculture (DA) shall identify idle and marginalized agricultural areas suitable for bamboo plantations (Section 4).
DA must identify such areas without sacrificing areas used for food production (Section 4).
DA shall assist in establishing bamboo nurseries and in bamboo propagation focusing on bamboo shoots production (Section 4).

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

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 similar groups that are in a very strategic position to advance the bamboo industry (Section 6).

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

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and private sector representatives shall lead in advocating the planting and utilization of bamboo nationwide (Section 8).
NGOs and private sector representatives shall provide market information, research market development, and other similar undertakings to support the bamboo industry (Section 8).

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

All executive issuances, rules, regulations, or parts thereof that are inconsistent with any provision of this Executive Order are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly (Section 10).

This Executive Order takes effect immediately upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation (Section 11).

This Executive Order is OP Executive Order No. 879 with the title: “Creating the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) to Promote the Bamboo Industry Development Project and Directing the Use of Bamboo for at Least Twenty Five (25%) Percent of the Desk and Other Furniture Requirements of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools and Prioritizing the Use of Bamboo in Furniture, Fixtures and Other Construction Requirements of Government Facilities and Allocating Funds Therefor and Other Purposes” (May 14, 2010).
The Executive Order is issued by GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, and signed by Leandro R. Mendoza, Executive Secretary (May 14, 2010).
The Executive Order provides for immediate effect upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation (Section 11).