Green Philippines! 1,000 Giant Bamboos Each For 28 Mindanao Provinces

All of the 28 Mindanao provinces, except Bukidnon which is considered as the Home of the Giant Bamboo, will receive 1,000 bamboo propagules each and at least 50 seedlings of the Abuyog Sweet Jackfruit as my personal support to the Green Mindanao Project of the Mindanao Development Authority.

Bago pa man magbukas ang opisina ng gobyerno ngayong umaga, kausap ko na si Undersecretary Janet Lopoz, the Officer-in-Charge ng MinDA since I resigned Oct. 5, para ma-finalize ang suporta ko sa Bamboo Program ng Mindanao.

Shortly after I moved to MinDA from the Department of Agriculture in August 2019, I crafted the Green Mindanao Project as one of the banner programs of the agency.

It involved the promotion of the planting of Giant Bamboo and high-value fruit trees in the deforested mountains of Mindanao, including the Ancestral Domain Areas and the highlands.

Nine Mindanao River Basins were identified as the target areas for the introduction of the Giant Bamboo farming with a processing facility component to be funded by the Development Bank of the Philippines.

To support the very program which I designed even after I had left the agency, I will be distributing Giant Bamboo planting materials and Abuyog Jackfruit seedlings to serve as Mother Trees.

Kasama sa programa ang mga malalayong island-provinces ng Dinagat, Camiguin, Basilan, Sulu and Tawitawi, including the provinces in the mainland.

Ang kondisyon ko lang ay kung maari na yong mga provinces in the mainland, except Bukidnon kasi doon galing ang mga semilya ng Giant Bamboo, ang kukuha ng mga planting materials from my nursery in Kidapawan City.

Ang ibibigay ko sa Bukidnon ay seedlings ng Abuyog Sweet Jackfruit because the province does not have this variety.

Available na ang estimated 40,000 Giant Bamboo planting materials at kailangang maitanim na kasi malalaki na ang mga ito.

I have asked Usec Lopoz to advise the Area Management Officers of MinDA to coordinate with the provincial governors and the provincial agriculturist para makuha nila ang kanilang mga planting materials kasi hindi na kaya ng luma ko na Isuzu Elf na ihatid lahat.

Hopefully, three years from now, the Green Mindanao Project will be a reality and the nine river basins will have one huge Bamboo processing facility each which would provide income and jobs to the people.

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

#GreenMindanaoProject!

#GreenPhilippinesAdvocacy!

(Last three photos show the Giant Bamboo planting materials and Abuyog Sweet Jackfruit seedlings delivered to Negros Oriental and received by the Office of Governor Roel Degamo.)