Bamboo farm soon in Toledo City

CEBU, Philippines —  A power plant operator has turned over a bamboo growing livelihood project to a community in Barangay Bato, Toledo City recently.

AboitizPower subsidiary Therma Visayas, Inc. (TVI) provided the project in partnership with the Aboitiz Foundation and Kabilin Nature Farms and Bamboo Center.

The project aims to provide sustainable livelihood while enhancing Toledo City’s environmental goals by growing a carbon sink within the area to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

“Bamboo can sequester carbon dioxide. This is why bamboo is really helpful to the environment. Aside from that we have already developed and created a lot of products made out of bamboo, which can be of help in entrepreneurial ventures of the barangay for its constituents,” Fr. Victor Labao, founder and CEO of Kabilin, said in a mix of Cebuano and English during the turnover ceremony.

Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions is also among the goals of TVI’s Safety, Health, and Environment (SHE) team, signifying the power plant operator’s commitment to sustainability.

The project was conceptualized during the barangay planning session that TVI hosted for the Barangay Bato Council in 2020. The first endeavor of its kind in Toledo City, the barangay planning session aims to help build capacities of community leaders through methods such as risk mapping, issues prioritization, and resource mobilization with the overall goal of inclusive growth.

“Dako kaayo ang among pasalamat sa Therma Visayas tungod sa walay hunong nga pagsuporta sa among barangay pinaagi aning proyekto. Dako kaayo ni og ikatabang dili lang sa atong kalikupan kundi hasta sad para sa panginabuhian sa mga lumolupyo sa barangay,” said Bato barangay captain Rosalio Cereno, Jr.

Through this project, 40 community members will be trained to cultivate 1,250 bamboo seedlings, which include the giant, maxima, and black varieties. Cereno added that they allotted P2 million for additional bamboo seedlings to be planted on the farm.

Cereno said they also plan to build a multipurpose building that will house a livelihood training center for making bamboo products, which the barangay council believes is a potential income-generating enterprise that will benefit the community in the future.

TVI aspires for Barangay Bato to be part of the bamboo supply chain and eventually market its harvested bamboo for various industries. The community’s bamboo farm is not only a source of livelihood for many, but also a means to promote sustainable development.

TVI is the operator of the 340-megawatt Toledo Baseload Power Plant located in Barangay Bato. — GMR (FREEMAN)