Outstanding in Visayas
Promoting the use of bamboo as a construction material in the country has earned a social enterprise in the southern town of Dauin, Negros Oriental the right to represent the entire Visayas in the prestigious 2024 Presidential Awards for Outstanding MSMEs under the small business category.
Kawayan Collective Agriculture Cooperative bested several other Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises in the Visayas Island group to compete with 17 other MSMEs from Luzon and Mindanao.
The country’s most outstanding MSME will be announced by Wednesday, July 10 at Malacañan Palace, during the celebration of MSME Development Week
“The nomination of Negros Oriental’s Kawayan Collective by the Department of Trade & Industry regional office highlights its significant contributions to sustainable construction and community development,” said Maribel Villaflores-Sumanoy, senior Trade & Industry Development specialist, who spearheaded the search for the Province’s best MSME candidate.
She said the recognition of Kawayan Collective “underscores the potential of bamboo as a game-changer in the building industry, thanks to the visionary efforts of Ray & Amy Villanueva”.
Kawayan Collective is in the innovative business of aggregating, processing, and distributing treated bamboo poles, transforming it into construction-grade standards as an alternative to traditional building materials like cement blocks and steel.
The Cooperative produces at least 200 treated poles and 20 panels each week. It also supplies treated bamboo for the social housing projects of NGOs like Base Bahay Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.
Closer to home, several housing projects are currently underway to provide shelter for families identified under the government’s End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) program. These initiatives involve collaboration with the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Philippine Army.
In the southernmost town of Basay alone, over 100 houses are being constructed as part of the Negros Oriental ELCAC Housing Project.
In Bayawan City, efforts include the construction of 10 duplexes and school buildings.
Sumanoy said DTI helped establish in 2022 the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council to prepare a roadmap that aims to revolutionize the industry in the country, and find strategies to elevate the competitiveness and sustainability of the once-lowly bamboo.
Based on records with the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Negros Oriental has around 900 hectares of bamboo thickets.
According to Kawayan Collective principal architect and founder Ray Villanueva, their decision to establish operations in Dauin, about 16 kilometers south of Dumaguete, was influenced by various factors, notably the presence of skilled bamboo craftsmen who have long upheld the tradition of bamboo craftsmanship in the area. “Collaborating closely with these artisans solidified our choice, acknowledging their expertise and invaluable contribution to the enterprise,” he said.
Villanueva recalled that the pandemic, which happened during their second year of operation, prompted a “strategic shift” towards innovative solutions. “With a renewed emphasis on waste utilization, we ventured into new product lines, including engineered panels, pre-fabrication models, and bamboo starter house kits.”
Collaborating with DTI and the Department of Science & Technology–Forest Products Research & Development Institute, Kawayan Collective adheres to rigorous standards for grading procedure and test methods for bamboo structures, ensuring compliance with international quality benchmarks.
Specifically, Villanueva noted how DOST-Negros Oriental played a pivotal role in providing them a grant of P2.3 million for the construction of an eco-dryer. “This project aims to facilitate efficient and sustainable local production of innovative engineered bamboo products, primarily for the domestic market, while enhancing the capacity and skill level of local suppliers to process, treat, and distribute durable Filipino bamboo as a sustainable construction material,” he said.
“DOST made it possible for Kawayan Collective to kiln-dry our engineered bamboo for a mold-resistant finish — something that is so useful in a humid country like ours,” Villanueva added.
Through these collaborations, he said they have been able to gain valuable insights into preservative-treatment options for bamboo to “mitigate the susceptibility of bamboo to bio-deteriorating agents like powder-post beetles and termites”.
“Our investment in the bamboo industry encompasses the entire value chain of the community — from farmers to builders,” Villanueva said. (With reports from Amy Wong/SU Masscom intern)
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Photo Caption: Skilled bamboo artisans in Dauin, headed by Board Chairperson/Production Manager Marbert Tinguha (standing, 4th from left) are flanked by the driving force behind Kawayan Collective: princial architect/co-founder Ray Villanueva & general manager/co-founder (standing leftmost) and Amy Villanueva (standing rightmost). (Contributed photo)
