Project Components

Nursery Establishment and Operation
The operation of a bamboo nursery promotes the selection of appropriate planting stocks as defined by manufacturing requirements of the Plant. It includes vegetative propagation of planting stocks, nursery care and adoption of appropriate cultural practices and nursery maintenance appropriate for the bamboo variety of choice.

"Kawayan Tinik" (bambusa blumeana) will be propagated through asexual or vegetative propagation. The use of culms and branches is more popular and much preferred since the technique is simple and the propagules are easily available and not difficult to collect.

Plantation Development and Management
This is the 2nd Stage of development efforts focusing on raw materials supply. Though long-term in nature, this is a project component that promotes the viability of bamboo manufacturing activities. In the short-run, the project shall tap and commission a supply-consolidator to provide initial requirements of the manufacturing project. However, long-term considerations dictate that this part of the project will ensure an efficient and effective flow of raw materials needed for manufacturing activities.

This project component includes the establishment of a plantation commencing from site identification and preparation, transport and planting of selected varieties of planting stocks; plantation maintenance and silvicultural treatment covering fertilization, watering and mulching, replacement of mortality, weeding and brushing, thinning, pruning and protection.

Primary Processing
This is the 3rd Stage in the flow of raw material and supplies management. This project component includes bamboo harvesting methods to be used – depending on culm age, cutting time and season, cutting height and distribution; storage, drying, preservation and treatment.

Primary processing activities encompasses the consolidation of raw materials (bamboo poles) from all sources in the island, cutting, slicing and weaving of sawali and bamboo curtains. Sawali and bamboo curtains are two major inputs for the production of form boards. The production of sawali and bamboo curtains is a primary processing activity that can be implemented from the household and/or barangay level. These are then consolidated to be supplied for the manufacture of bamboo form-boards.

The implementation of primary processing activities at the household/barangay level helps in redistributing the benefits of the bamboo industry equitably. Household income of people involved in sawali weaving and bamboo curtain production increases as households/farmers are no longer mere suppliers of bamboo poles.

Planters Spring Bamboo, Inc. also intends to lease-out sawali-weaving machines to primary processing units to be identified and qualified by the company from and among the bamboo-producing municipalities of Panay Island.

Manufacturing
This component is integrated into the project to utilize waste materials generated from the primary processing units and from the manufacturing plant vis-à-vis aggregate energy demand of the project.

Bamboo charcoal production is technically feasible based on the Asian Journal on Energy and Environment1. The development and promotion of an alternative source of energy and its commercialization is deemed viable and environmentally-sound. It is expected to address the country’s aggregate energy demand which is expected to rise from 216.4 million barrels of fuel oil (MBFOE) in 2005 to 335 MBFOE in 2014 or a 10-year average of 4.7%; as well as address issues relative to environmental waste management as a consequence of manufacturing operations.

The design of bamboo charcoaling kiln also generates the heat needed for carbonization and is supplied to the chamber where bamboo specimens are stacked.

Bamboo Charcoaling Kiln
This component is integrated into the project to utilize waste materials generated from the primary processing units and from the manufacturing plant vis-à-vis aggregate energy demand of the project.

Bamboo charcoal production is technically feasible based on the Asian Journal on Energy and Environment.The development and promotion of an alternative source of energy and its commercialization is deemed viable and environmentally-sound. It is expected to address the country’s aggregate energy demand which is expected to rise from 216.4 million barrels of fuel oil (MBFOE) in 2005 to 335 MBFOE in 2014 or a 10-year average of 4.7%; as well as address issues relative to environmental waste management as a consequence of manufacturing operations.

The design of bamboo charcoaling kiln also generates the heat needed for carbonization and is supplied to the chamber where bamboo specimens are stacked.