THE Forest Products Research and Development Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-FPRDI) recently conducted the “Pantugtog Kawayan ni Juan: Usapang Kultura at Kabuhayan” webinar.
DOST-FPRDI Director Romulo T. Aggangan said the virtual conference was held to acknowledge the importance of bamboo as a sustainable and eco-efficient material for furniture, handicraft and construction.
He said that bamboo was once touted as a “poor man’s timber,” but it has started to be recognized as an ideal substitute for wood due its fast growth and excellent properties.
“The Philippine government has shown its support to the bamboo industry thru the development of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Roadmap and creation of relevant policies and programs,” Aggangan said.
DOST-FPRDI has likewise developed a number of technologies to process and utilize bamboo, such as the bamboo kiln dryer, bamboo charcoal briquettor, bamboo veneer lathe and engineered bamboo.
It has also studied the veneering, drying, preservation, dyeing, finishing and other properties of bamboo to help local entrepreneurs in making quality bamboo products.
“While the DOST-FPRDI has devoted many years in bamboo research and development, this is the first time that it is focusing on bamboo musical instruments,” he said, pertaining to the webinar.
The Bamboo Musical Instruments Innovation Research and Development Program is a welcome initiative, particularly as the agency seeks to assist the local creative industry.
The BMI program’s goal is to apply science in developing and improving bamboo musical instruments.
This is particularly important as some local bamboo musical instrument makers encounter issues in the processing, durability, aesthetics and sound quality of their instruments.
“With locally developed technologies, we hope to better the processing and hasten the production of BMIs,” he stressed.
The BMI program also seeks to study the raw material source and existing market of the instruments.
Results will help in broadening the raw materials base for musical instruments and in identifying the potential market for BMIs.
“It is our fervent hope that with these pieces of information, many local entrepreneurs and start-up businesses will become interested in venturing into BMI production,” Aggangan said.
Equally important is the need to promote, uphold and protect our cultural heritage.
Many of our local art forms — including the use of bamboo musical instruments — are almost confined within the indigenous communities.
“Recorded in these art forms are our common ancestors’ “ways of doing things,” he said, adding that “their culture forms a big part of our national identity, and something we cannot afford to ignore if we want to truly prosper as a people.”
The BMI program thus intends to awaken the people’s appreciation for bamboo musical instruments, and how these are closely interwoven with the lives of indigenous groups, and therefore “our own.”
The DOST- FPRDI likewise lauded the Department of Education for including in the K-12 curriculum the study and playing of indigenous bamboo musical instruments.
“We see this as an opportunity to deepen the knowledge and rouse the interest of Filipino youth on the beauty of our ethnic music,” Aggangan said./PN
