FREQUENTLY used for making furniture, kawayan tinik (Bambusa blumeana Schultes f.) and giant bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper (Schultes f.) Backer ex Heyn) are the preferred species.
These two species basically possess the desirable characteristics of poles for producing engineered bamboo ― large diameter, straight, with thick culm walls and high density, and defect-free.
It can be noted that engineered bamboo is often stronger and less prone to warping than equivalent solid woods.
Poles from these species are also readily available, especially in the countryside.
In particular, kawayan tinik is found in lowlands across the country.
It grows erect in clumps and extends from 15 to 25 meters tall with an average culm diameter of six to10 centimeters.
Its large clumps and spiny branches at its basal portion are the distinguishing features of this bamboo species.
Giant bamboo, on the other hand, has a towering height of 32 meters, with about 20 culms in a clump.
This bamboo is spineless with young culms covered with velvety hairs and thrives in areas with good drainage and high elevation.
Kawayan tinik is also a good raw material for bamboo parquets and laminated products like tables, chairs, and doors.
Other than producing plywood and tiles, giant bamboo is also used for construction, pulp, and papermaking.
Preferred for traditional and emerging applications, both species have been widely studied for their high commercial value.
Considering these properties, the Central Philippines State University (CPSU) in Barangay Camingawan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, has started producing engineered bamboo products.
This is in connection with in its effort to establish industries in the countryside, as well as provide a learning laboratory for its students.
CPSU President Dr. Aladino C. Moraca says the project aims to utilize and maximize available resources for local revenue generation, develop practical and appropriate technologies to create industries in the rural areas, and tap multi-sectoral support and participation to showcase the best practices in agriculture.
The CPSU now has a bamboo processing facility, which is under a shared service agreement with local bamboo craftsmen and growers.
The facility is composed of two units of bamboo pole cutter, a twin rip saw, wood-fired Dutch furnace, jointer planer, thickness planer, lamenting press with pneumatic cylinder, single spindle moulder with feeder, circular saw with sliding table, band saw, bench drill, wide belt sander, air compressor, dust collector single bag, universal sharpener for circular saw, and a grinder for planer knives.
CPSU Bamboo Project Manager Wendel Pangaral says the facility is an income generating project which will provide a laboratory for the university students, employment for the operators, entrepreneurs, and bamboo growers.
He says a wide range of products from bamboo can be made by binding together bamboo veneers, strands, fibers, strips or slats, woven mats, or flattened bamboo with a suitable glue to form a composite material designed to meet specific needs.
Indeed, bamboo has gone a long way in providing various livelihood opportunities, particularly for those living in the countryside that has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic./PN
