Travel Report March 2002

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ACIAR Project No. FST/2000/127

Improving and maintaining productivity of bamboo for quality timber and shoots in Australia and the Philippines

Travel Report

Steve Ockerby

Philippines 23 February – 7 March 2002

The purpose of the travel was to attend the annual meeting of project collaborators held in Los Banos and Iloilo City, The Philippines, and later, to visit the project site in Ilocos Norte. I was accompanied by four Australians representing collaborators in the project and by the ACIAR program leader Heather Crompton.

The objectives of the annual meeting were:

To evaluate the implementation phase of the project;
To identify gaps in the program strategy and experimentation;
To develop strategies and recommendations to enhance the attainment of project goals;
To visit the experiments in Iloilo; using it as a model in reviewing and formulating experimental management and research methods with particular emphasis on soil water and plant nitrogen nutrition; and,
To provide opportunities for Australian and Philippine collaborators to network.

The participants at the meeting were:

From Australia:

Mr. Steve Ockerby, CQUniversity
Mrs. Heather Crompton, ACIAR
Mr. Mark Traynor, Northern Territory Government
Dr. Shale Gordon, Bamboo Surfboards Australia
Ms. Julianne Hartmann, Mullimbimby Bamboo
Mr. Durnford Dart, Bamboo Australia

From The Philippines:

Dr. Marina Alipon, Forest Products Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology (FPRDI, DOST)
Dr. Stanley Malab, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU)
Prof. Beatriz Malab, MMSU
Mr. Jowie Ramoran, MMSU
For. Conrado Marquez, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR Region 6)
Engr. Neil Gigare, DENR R 6
ARED Rainier Ecang, DENR R6
For. Myrna Decipulo, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR, R10)
ARED Felixberto Capadocia, DENR R 10
Dr. Felizardo Virtucio, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)
Dr. Nimfa Torreta, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development, Department of Science and Technology (PCARRD,DOST)

Itinerary

February 22 Prepared bamboo culms of Bambusa balcooa, Dendrocalamus asper and Gigantochloa robusta for quarantine inspection and export to the Philippines where testing for veneering properties will be done by Dr Marina Alipon.

February 24 Departed Brisbane for Manila and Los Baños. The group was joined by Dr Nimfa Torreta (PCARRD) and Dr Felizardo Virtucio a bamboo consultant representing INBAR.

February 25 Courtesy calls and briefing with Dr. Patricio S. Faylon, PCARRD Executive Director and For. Celso P. Diaz, ERDB Director.

At FPRDI, Dr. Marina Alipon discussed the component of the project involving the physical and mechanical properties of bamboo timber grown at Ilocos Norte. Other FPRDI researchers discussed the bamboo veneering aspects and showed techniques and samples. Veneering of Bambusa blumeana and the three Australian culms was done, and samples returned to the Research Officer for transfer back to Australia.

February 26 The group departed Los Banos early in the morning and returned to Manila. In Manila we met up with the Ilocos Norte project collaborators before flying to Iloilo City. In Iloilo City, the remaining collaborators from Iloilo and Bukidnon joined the group.

That afternoon, a semi-formal session (walang expectations) informed the group of the progress at each experimental site in three regions of the Philippines: Ilocos Norte in Luzon; Iloilo and Capiz in Visayas; and Malaybalay, Bukidnon in Mindanao, and two regions in Australia: Darwin in the Northern Territory and Eumundi in Queensland.

February 27 The group visited the field experimental layout in Dumarao, Capiz. The site was properly established, paving the way for a fruitful experiment. The team in Iloilo has done a superb job. Issues that were raised include the possibility that clumps are insufficiently separated to prevent irrigation water affecting non-irrigated clumps. It was resolved to analyse and investigate this issue during the next dry-season. The installation and use of the Micro-Gopher was demonstrated but will also require follow up information.

A fantastic fruit banquet was enjoyed by the group for morning tea, followed by a lunch in the bamboo plantation. Many thanks to Dr. Genoveva Labaniego, administrator of PSPC Dumarao Campus and the school for their hospitality. In the afternoon, the group visited the bamboo product showroom of the Department of Trade and Industry in Iloilo City.

Interview with May Joven of The Manila Times newspaper

February 28 The group visited the farmers’ bamboo stands in Cadagmayan Norte Project Site, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo where 25 experimental clumps have been established in collaboration with 5 bamboo farmers. This experiment provides information for the effective rehabilitation and management of existing natural bamboo stands in the rural areas and is an example for other farmers in surrounding districts.

Interview with Lydia from the Iloilo Informer newspaper

Lunch was had in the Daja Tree Park, Maasin, before visiting the mayor in Maasin followed by a visit to a local bamboo manufacturer and the CM bamboo crafts in Iloilo.

March 1 During the morning, the wrap up session was held in the Four Season’s Hotel in Iloilo City. Resolutions agreed at the meeting were:

Website protocol - The project website is a contact point for people interested in the project. It is attached to the CQUniversity website and only general content will be posted (progress, meetings, happenings, press releases etc). By request it will support specific contact details and link to the commercial sites (with permission).
Standardized terminologies will be agreed by email and posted on the website.
Parameters of data collection will be agreed by the project scientists.
Project management and stability, training, budget, funds and reporting were as stipulated in the project document and in the Memorandum of Subsidiary Agreements signed by ACIAR and PCARRD. The budget is approved for 3 years. Flexibility within the budget is limited to within country transfer between line items. Limitations to operations and achievement of those goals stated at the formation of the project associated with ‘medium project’ funding should be noted in a report to ACIAR. The first annual report should also outline in detail the agreed experimental and operational plan of the project.
INBAR will be approached to fund a training component (community work) for the project. The proposed training for the three sites would include training modules/training; cross visits; technical skills (Post harvest-FPRDI) and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) depending on the need of the community. A proposal will be submitted to INBAR by 14 March 2002.
In September 2002, the economic component and marketing of the project will be implemented by Ms. Merlyn Rivera of the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB, DENR). Merlyn should be involved in preliminary discussions as to how this is done.
The need to enhance commercial interest in the project was discussed, with resolution to formulate specific studies and scientific papers on commercially relevant issues such as the harvest age of edible shoots.
The evaluation of experiments in this project will take longer than the current three-year timeframe for funding. In order to generate continued funding, it is essential to generate outcomes from the project during its first term. Outcomes may show the interchange of production methods and the formulation of commercial ventures that generate income from bamboo. Outcomes need to be told to ACIAR and the country organizations.
For several reasons, there is a general belief, in Australia and The Philippines, that the cultivation of bamboo for shoots and timber are different and nearly mutually exclusive activities. It would be a good outcome of the project, within the first three years, to produce evidence that the two bamboo products are compatible with each other.
After lunch, the group separated, heading back to Manila, Los Banos, Bukidnon, Australia or Ilocos Norte. I was accompanied to Ilocos Norte by Dr. Shale Gordon.

March 2 Arrived at the ‘Bamboo House’ in Batac. Visited the plantation experiment at MMSU with Dr Stanley and Betty Malab and Jowie Ramoran. Again the experiment establishment is first class, and all augers well for a successful project. Dinner was taken at the beach, a dip in the ocean, a barbeque and a chance meeting with Stanley’s respectful students.

March 3 Early start to look at the pole cleaning and veneering equipment at MMSU, then a visit to one of the natural bamboo stand experimental sites on a farm. Good discussion on the issues of extension and traditional bamboo management. Also viewed a commercial pole cleaner supported by MMSU. Left Batac about 1pm to drive to Caba in La Union where we stayed as guests of Delia Domingo-Albert Ex Philippine Ambasador to Australia at her bamboo house on the beach.

March 4 Another early start, to reach Manila before the traffic, and attend the Australian Embassy. Met with Cecilia Honrado, ACIAR country manager and attended the launch of the Philippine surfing contests for 2002. Bamboo Surfboards Australia had a display in the Australian Embassy.

March 5 Met with Madeline Singh, visiting an architectural firm in Manila that specializes in bamboo construction. Departed Manila to return to Sydney.

March 6 Breakfast at Bondi Beach writing press releases. Returned to Brisbane and Rockhampton.