National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos has urged bamboo advocates in the country to raise public awareness on the value of the world’s tallest grass.

During the first Leyte Bamboo Summit on Wednesday, Carlos, the Bamboo Warriors Philippines chairperson emeritus, said she hopes to see more bamboo summits in different parts of the country.

“We want people to be informed since this is the bedrock of any policy. I challenge the private sector to raise information about bamboos,” Carlos said in her speech.

Carlos said bamboo is seen as the best grass to combat the impact of climate change, which is considered one of the global security threats.

“People don’t know the strength of bamboo. We are stupid people. We are surrounded with bamboo, and it grows everywhere and yet we are really missing out many opportunities of bamboo as the grass of life,” Carlos told local government officials and bamboo product developers.

Information drive is the first step since people cannot support something that they don’t understand, according to the official.

“Many people are not even aware that bamboo is stronger than metal. Properly engineered and treated bamboo is the best housing material,” Carlos added.

Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla said there are many studies related to bamboo production and product development done in the past, but not commercialized.

“The basic premise of any project is the financial backbone. The summit will not just teach us how to plant, but engage the private sector. We will plant with commercial value involved,” Petilla told summit participants.

Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla, president of League of Municipalities in Leyte, said the promotion of bamboo’s social, economic, and environmental benefits will provide an alternative income for locals and address the impact of climate change.

“If we start planting now, we can harvest in three years. Let us help expand bamboo technology not only in Leyte and other parts of the country,” she told other mayors in the province.

The Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) noted that bamboo is one of the most economically-important non-timber forest products in the Philippines.

Its fast growth and excellent properties makes it an ideal substitute for wood for furniture, handicrafts, construction material, and chemical products.

Global market for bamboo in 2006 stands at about USD7 billion and was projected to increase to USD17 billion from 2015 to 2020, according to DOST-FPRDI. (PNA)