The Bamboo Boot Camp: The Way to Protect the Bamboo Plant and Industry

As a plant, bamboo is usually taken for granted by young people, as bamboo clumps are a very common sight anywhere in the country. But for the class officers from the 9th and 10th grades in Andres Bonifacio Campus who were invited to the virtual presentation of Bamboo Boot Camp, held on September 8, 2022, proved to be a remarkable and exceptional experience.

The Bamboo Boot Camp is a non-profit, non-government organization on a mission to make a better world through bamboo.

It conducted the webinar “Bamboo Now and Before: Bamboo Opportunities in 2023 and Beyond, Culture, Country and Commerce”. Considered legends in the bamboo industry were guest speakers, Including the following:

1. Stud Jader, a professional bamboo plate tuner discussed: bamboo opportunities to rekindle culture and conservation of our rich heritage thru bamboo musical instruments and its role in the socio-cultural, economic, spiritual development of the Filipinos.
2. Ray Dionisio from the sector of sustainable, community-based tourism discussed the bamboo opportunities in the tourism development and how we can utilize bamboo as a tool to promote tourism in the communities.
3. Bert Peters form the Bamboo Permaculture sector, explained “Bamboo Opportunities for Agricultural Ecosystems”, how bamboo is related to permaculture, and how we can make use of bamboo for food security.
4. Architect Christian Salandanan of Sangay Architects focused on “Bamboo Opportunities to Uplift Bamboo Design and Architecture”.
5. Edgardo Manda, President of The Philippine Bamboo Foundation, talked about bamboo nursery development and propagation, and how the bamboo supply is needed to sustain opportunities in the bamboo industry.