Iloilo City in Panay island has launched its Bamboo Planting Program to mark the celebration of Environment Month and Arbor Day and started planting bamboos to help boost the air quality in the city.
The city government of Iloilo led the ceremonial planting of 300 Kiling bamboo species along the floodway in Barangay Buhang located in Jaro, Executive Assistant for Environment Armando Dayrit said to media.
An additional 1,000 bamboo seedlings will be planted along the floodway in the coming days. Another 3,000 will be planted at the Calajunan Sanitary Landfill.
Ornamental Chinese bamboo species numbering 1,000 will be spread at the Esplanade, from the St. Paul’s Hospital up to the old Residence Hotel.
The bamboo seedlings were provided by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) after the city government requested them in January this year.
The Philippine bamboo, named a high-value crop, was chosen for the greening project to balance the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the city’s open spaces and creeks and help improve the air quality in the area.
The 5,000 bamboo seedlings will be planted before the end of July.
The sustainable bamboo crop, which grows abundantly in the country, has many uses because of its natural and medicinal properties.
In fact, Earl Patrick Forlales’ bamboo-based housing design to help solve the city of Manila’s slum housing crisis won the RICS Cities for our Future competition.
Bamboo has been also used as active ingredients in antimicrobial soaps and hand mists to help Filipinos fight the coronavirus disease.
Because of its flexible nature, bamboo was also used in the creation of the Philippine-made electric motorcycle called Green Falcon Banatti as well as the Bambike, a bicycle with parts made from bamboo.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to Iloilo City for its new bamboo planting program to boost air quality.
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