FIBER INNOVATION HUB. Personnel of the DOST-PTRI visit the municipality of Vintar in Ilocos Norte on Tuesday (April 16, 2024), presenting some finished products out of tropical fabric. To engage local communities in fiber processing, a Bamboo Textile Fiber Innovation Hub will be established in Vintar soon. (Photo courtesy of Vintar LGU)
The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI) plans to establish a Bamboo Textile Fiber Innovation Hub (BTFIH) in Vintar, Ilocos Norte to engage local communities in fiber processing.
Dr. Teresita A. Tabaog, DOST 1 Regional Director, confirmed this reported plan when she recently visited Vintar town which is acknowledged for its great potential to produce bamboo textile products apart from other common uses of bamboo for handicraft making and as construction materials.
“This is a welcome development for our town as this will further boost our bamboo industry,” Vintat mayor Richard told media. He takes pride in the existing bamboo plantations currently being taken cared of by farmers’ associations in his town.
Vintar town is the largest municipality in terms of land area in Ilocos Norte, covering 62,482 hectares. Of this, farmer associations maintain over 5,000 bamboo clumps apart from those that thrive in mountainous areas.
DOST said Vintar town was identified as the site of the fiber innovation hub for having community-based bamboo farms managed by farmers’ associations.
“The project is from bamboo to fiber with the project beneficiary. All the output will be bought by the DOST, including the processing equipment, provision of training, and other technical support and assistance. Only the production area will be the counterpart of Vintar,” said Gerald Gabriel, science research specialist of the DOST-Ilocos Norte, on Friday. (With PNA)
