Mining firm turns to bamboo farming for mine rehab

MANILA, Philippines — Mining companies are finding ways to contribute to environmental protection as the sector remains under scrutiny.

 Marcventures Mining and Development Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of listed Marcventures Holdings Inc., makes bamboo farming the heart of its mining rehabilitation program.

In an interview with The STAR, MHI president Isidro Alcantara said the industry has long been looking for ways to clean up the destructive effects of mining.

“When you undergo rehab, you normally plant trees. They do not really provide any means of livelihood for people living there especially the indigenous people. Once the mine leaves after 10 or 20 years, there will be nothing left and it is only good while it is there,” Alcantara said.

“Rehabilitation should have two purposes, one is to restore and enhance the environment, and second is to leave sustainable livelihood even after mining has stopped. And bamboo is perfect for that,” he added.

Bamboo is considered as the “green gold of life” and “grass of hope” with its wide range of applications and growing relevance.  It  is an effective tool in addressing soil erosion, landslides, and flooding which are the common disasters in any mine site.

It is also considered to have the highest potential for maximum benefits to the environment and livelihood as it can release up to 35 percent more oxygen than any other trees, and sequester up to 12 metric tons of carbon dioxide per hectare.

Bamboo is the fastest growing canopy for the regreening of degraded lands.

It can be developed into furniture and can be used in fiber, clothing, pulp and paper production, food ingredients, beauty products, architecture, and construction.

“Bamboo can be harvested after three years.   In the long run, it is going to cost less. It does not cost much but the benefits are so much more,” Alcantara said.

Marcventures’ bamboo development program will be undertaken in three phases over the next five years.  This  includes the establishment of a 10-hectare demo bamboo plantation, business development, and market research.

The mining firm is identifying and training community members who will eventually be organized either as a cooperative or a community corporation. The demo plantation will rise on the Pili mined out area, which is undergoing rehabilitation.

It has so far planted nearly 20,000 bamboo seedlings equivalent to 17 hectares. It plans to cover an initial 45 hectares of mined out area.

Aside from this, the company is establishing links with local government units, government agencies and community organizations to strengthen the program.   

The next phase of the program includes the setting up of community-based businesses for the supply of bamboo to bamboo producers. It will initially produce bamboo chairs.

Marcventures aims to supply the chair requirements of  the Department of Education. 

Under Executive Order 879, one-fourth of all desks and furniture in public schools should be made of bamboo.

“The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, together with some private sector groups,  are finalizing a roadmap for the bamboo to be a national program. This is a priority in support of the President’s mandate for rehabilitation,” Alcantara said.

Marcventures will also focus more on market research, in which the community stakeholders learn the ropes on creating value-adding products and services.

Bamboo has approximately 1,500 uses. It is even sturdier than some wood species, and is considered an excellent building material.

According to the Philippine Bamboo Foundation Inc.,  some bamboo species can withstand 52,000 pounds per square inch  before reaching breaking point, almost close  to that of steel with 60,000 psi.

The country’s bamboo-based furniture industry  is growing at a rate of 15 percent annually, with export revenues amounting to $3.2 million per year.

Globally, the bamboo-based handicraft industry is growing by an average of seven percent with export revenues of $8 billion annually.

Currently, only 52,000 hectares in the Philippines have been planted with bamboo.

Apart from bamboo, Marcventures is also experimenting with cash crops like coffee and cacao which grow in the area, but bulk of its rehabilitation program will still focus on bamboo plantation.

“It is less costly to maintain and it is for the long run. It will be a combination, but bulk would still be for bamboo because even in areas you can not do real farming, you can still grow bamboo,” Alcantara said.

The seven-member companies of the Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) recently planted over 4.2 million trees in Caraga and Palawan as part of the ongoing progressive rehabilitation and reforestation in several mining sites

“We, as a group, are conducting an inventory of our mines especially in Surigao and Palawan. We will be launching an industry-wide project to use bamboo for rehabilitation,” he said.

Endemic trees and grass species including agoho, mahogany, giant bamboo, and narra, as well as fruit-bearing trees like calamansi, cashew, jackfruit, and cacao, have been planted since the start of rehabilitation phase.

Cash crops such as rubber, coffee, vegetables, and herbal plants are also grown in the mine sites’ respective nurseries.

 “We are fully supportive of the efforts of the President. There is nothing wrong with being strict and implementing the law especially on environment restoration and we are all trying our best to be beyond compliant,” Alcantara said.

“I disagree with statements saying that he is anti mining. I would describe his policy as tough love by making sure we do things right and proper. We are fully behind the President and we understand his rationale,” he added.