Declaring the Month of September of Every Year as "Philippine Bamboo Month"

June 27, 2022

PROCLAMATION NO. 1401

DECLARING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER OF EVERY YEAR AS "PHILIPPINE BAMBOO MONTH"

WHEREAS, Section 12, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall promote the preferential use of Filipino labor, domestic materials and locally produced goods, and adopt measures that help make them competitive;

WHEREAS, many farmers and fisherfolk in the country have long depended on the bamboo plant for their livelihood, particularly in rural areas where the young bamboo shoots are eaten and the mature bamboo is the ubiquitous construction material;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 879 (s. 2010) created the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) to promote the product development of bamboo and enhance market access to bamboo products, for the purpose of sustaining and strengthening the bamboo industry;

WHEREAS, bamboo has been identified by the Department of Trade and Industry as one of the eight (8) priority industry clusters;

WHEREAS, parts of the bamboo plant are now being used not only for the nourishment of people in rural areas and the construction of simple infrastructure, but also in producing world-class Filipino furniture and handicrafts renowned in all parts of the globe; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to instill in the national consciousness of the Filipino people the importance of the bamboo plant and its products;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby declare the month of September of every year as "Philippine Bamboo Month."

The PBIDC shall lead and promote the observance of the Philippine Bamboo Month, and identify the programs, projects and activities for the yearly celebration thereof.

All other agencies and instrumentalities of the National Government, including government-owned or -controlled corporations and state universities and colleges, are hereby directed, and all local government units, relevant non-government organizations and civil society groups, as well as the private sector, are hereby encouraged, to support the PBIDC in the celebration of the Philippine Bamboo Month and the effective implementation of this Proclamation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 27th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Two.

 

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 118, No. 27, p. 7672 on July 4, 2022.