LGUs told: Plant more bamboos

CEBU, Philippines — In celebration of World Bamboo Day last September 21, 2024, over 1,200 Mandaue City Hall officials and employees and private individuals took part in a massive bamboo tree planting.

Suspended Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes together with Mandaue City Acting Mayor Glenn Bercede and other city officials led the celebration where they planted over a thousand propagules at the Mandaue Green Learning Park at Barangay Umapad and Bamboo Tree Planting Activity.

Tuburan Mayor Aljun Diamante, an advocate of bamboo planting, took part in the activity and encouraged all local government units in Cebu to also plant more bamboo in their respective towns and cities.

Diamante said that all 54 barangays in his town have been planting bamboo since 2022.

In fact, Diamante said that he now has a Bamboo Tunnel with 30 different species of bamboo. This 12- hectare bamboo plantation will be called Bamboo Kingdom, which Diamante said he plans to become another tourist attraction in his town.

“Ako-a gyud giawhag ang tanang LGUs sa Cebu nga mananom og bamboo. Kaning gihimo sa Mandaue nga pagpananom og kawayan, dalaygon kaayo ni nga angay sundon sa mga LGU’s,” said Diamante.

Diamante added that planting bamboo is very good for the environment as it absorbs carbon dioxide 400 times more compared to other plants.

“So maayo gyud siya itanom for the environment and this is also a good source of livelihood sa atong katawhan,” Diamante added.

The World Bamboo Day 2024 celebration in Mandaue City was also supported by the Cebu Bamboo Industry Development Council.