The DENR-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB) is strengthening the decades-old Rattan Gene Bank in Bukidnon Province to help secure a sustainable supply of quality planting materials for the country’s rattan industry.
The move comes amid an 18.1 percent jump in the Value of Production Index for wood, bamboo, cane and rattan articles in April, a surge that has intensified pressure on raw material sources across the archipelago.
Livelihood opportunities, ecosystem protection
The plan boosts livelihood opportunities tied to ecosystem protection, a push that has placed greater attention on nature-based industries across the archipelago.
Operated by DENR-ERDB’s Forest and Wetland Research, Development and Extension Center (FWRDEC), the enhanced gene bank will produce quality planting materials that can be used in establishing sustainable rattan plantations, helping strengthen the supply base for furniture makers and handicraft producers while reducing pressure on wild rattan populations.
Leading the initiative is Forester Joel B. Orella, project leader of the DENR-ERDB’s Nursery and Plantation Establishment and Management of Rattan through Science and Technology-Based Approaches Project.
‘We are creating opportunities for communities while ensuring that future generations will continue to protect and benefit from our native rattan resources,’ Orella said.
‘This is exactly the kind of work that shows how environmental protection can translate into real economic opportunity,’ Secretary Cuna said. ‘By investing in science-based restoration and sustainable supply chains, we’re ensuring livelihoods endure for decades.’
Permanent nursery, rattan plantation
Orella and his research team are establishing a permanent nursery and a 10-hectare rattan plantation within the experimental forest.
The project also includes training people’s organizations, local government units, DENR field offices, Indigenous Peoples communities, and private stakeholders in seed collection, nursery management, and plantation establishment.
Among the project’s primary beneficiaries is the Woodstock Forest Stewards Association in Bukidnon. Members will learn to propagate rattan wildlings and seedlings that can be supplied to plantation developers, government greening programs, and private buyers, providing them with an additional source of livelihood while supporting the expansion of sustainable rattan plantations.
Investment in PHL forest
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Juan Miguel ‘Mitch’ Cuna said strengthening the Rattan Gene Bank is an investment in the country’s forests, communities, and the future of an industry that has long been part of the country’s identity. ‘President Marcos Jr. has been clear that caring for our ecosystems must also create opportunities for our people. Every forest we protect and every coastline we restore, strengthens communities and builds a more resilient future for the country,’ he stated.
Established in 1992, the five-hectare rattan gene bank is located inside the Malaybalay Experimental Forest. The facility conserves 30 native rattan species and serves as the country’s living repository of rattan genetic resources. The Philippines is home to about 64 to 80 rattan species and varieties, and ERDB has maintained a living collection representing most of this diversity through decades of conservation work.
DENR-ERDB Director Lormelyn E. Claudio said research creates lasting value when it responds to the needs of communities and industries alike.
‘The true value of research is realized when it improves lives. Partnerships with communities allow us to ensure that our research addresses actual needs on the ground while empowering them to become active stewards of our natural resources,’ Claudio said.