IN an effort to help boost the government’s national greening program, the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) is putting up a bamboo laboratory to boost its propagation in Region 1 (Ilocos Region).

Secretary Raul Lambino, Northern Luzon presidential assistant, said the towns of Sual and Aguilar in Pangasinan, and parts of Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) and Cordillera host vast government lands that can be planted with bamboo, fruit bearing trees, and tulips.

Also the Ceza administrator and chief executive officer, Lambino said a good place for their bamboo project is Region 2.

He said a laboratory for beema bamboo and other bamboo species will be established in Ceza.

“We have talked with investors in India to put up a tissue culture laboratory at the ecozone while we propagate and provide seedlings to different provinces in Northern Luzon,” Lambino said.

Bamboo experts said the beema specie is like the local kawayan bayog, but produces heavier poles.

Lambino said beema bamboo can be used to manufacture furniture, fuel, textile, paper, among others. It is also a very good material for construction and currently a sought-after source of energy in India.

“We hope that we can plant more and harvest more of this specie, which will help in the government’s reforestation efforts and in the development of cleaner energy, which will also help decrease reliance on fossil fuel,” Lambino said.

With regard to the propagation of fruit-bearing trees, Lambino said Apayao would be an ideal place to plant lanzones, rambutan and durian.

He said there are more than a thousand hectares as possible areas for investors who would be interested to pour in capital for the growing of the fruit trees.

Accordingly, Lambino said several areas have been identified in Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya, and in Cordillera for fruit-bearing trees. They are also looking for areas to propagate tulips.

“We are also looking into the possibility of propagating tulips at the mountain areas of San Nicolas town in Pangasinan and Santa Fe town in Nueva Vizcaya,” he added.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/02/01/business/green-business/bamboo-lab-to-boost-propagation-in-nluzon/678799/