The Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) has lined up a series of training classes this year to help furniture manufacturers develop new and highly marketable products out of non-traditional materials. In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Saturday, Margie Dizon, officer-in-charge of FPRDI’s Training and Manpower Development Services Section, said participants will learn the proper use of available technologies to turn hardwood and other forest-sourced materials into high-value finished goods that can potentially be exported. ‘We want to utilize what others think as merely agricultural or production wastes which can still be made useful and have an increased value,’ she said. Dizon said this effort could help wood manufacturers expand their product lines, eventually boosting the income of their communities. ‘We expect our participants, especially those coming from the (forest products) industry to produce it at home for livelihood or try it in their own products,’ she added. She said the FPRDI will be conducting free training on bamboo-craft-making this month, lumber kiln drying techniques in September, dyeing and bleaching of non-wood forest products in October and basic finishing techniques in November. ‘We also have many clients, especially in technology like kiln drying, who want their materials to be export quality. We have standards that must be complied with; hence, they are requesting training from our office,’ said Dizon. The FPRDI has partnered with the Departments of Trade and Industry, Environment and Natural Resources, and local government units in the campaign. ‘We really need the assistance of other agencies, most especially in funding because even though we have good technology but do not have the sources of funds to start production and a good source of raw materials, our efforts will be wasted,’ she stressed. Dizon said individuals or groups interested in learning forest products development can send their inquiries via email at info.fprdi@dost.gov.ph. Meanwhile, Rene Madarang, executive director of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC), welcomed the DOST’s efforts to train local craftsmen in new techniques for manufacturing high-value products from bamboo. FPRDI’s bamboo-craft-making course later this month is specifically significant as the country observes Philippine Bamboo Month in September. ‘Bamboo can lift many people out of poverty. There is a market for bamboo during any point during its lifecycle, from propagules to the time it is made into engineered bamboo products,’ he added. Madarang said officers of the Department of Trade and Industry-attached PBIDC are visiting Northern Mindanao over the weekend to inspect new bamboo processing facilities and attend public hearings on bamboo industry development.
Source: Philippines News Agency