By Pigeon Lobien

 

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — With 12 of the 900 bamboo saplings to be planted at the Media Camp, the plants capability to recue pollution in an urban setting will be tested, the Philippine Bamboo Foundation believes.

This is the belief of PBF president Edgardo Manda who eyes more than 900 bamboo saplings of 15 varieties to be planted at the Camp which he said “would mean a demonstration of bamboo’s capabilty to reduce air pollution in an urban setting, creating a bamboo eco-park as a learning tool to educate students and public on bamboos role in environmental protection.”

He said this writer before New Year’s Day that the PBF’s advocacy on bamboo education and use of the bamboo eco-park “proof of concept will drive people or the public to adopt bamboo for nature based solution against environmental degradation.”

He said that there is a need for Baguio officials to “take a good look at bamboos role in hillside and slope protections.” He added: “using Baguio’s homegrown well adapted bamboo species called Phyllostachys aurea commonly called Benguet bamboo.”

The PBF, its partner All In on December 12 planted 12 multiplex to jumpstart the six month project to populate the Media Camp at the picnic grove of Burnham Park.

The rain drenched Friday afternoon ceremony served as the one year celebration of the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club memorandum of agreement adopting the portion of the park with the city government led by mayor Benjamin Magalong. The torrential rain was welcomed by the PBF president saying that it was a blessing, in fact, more than a blessing after leading the planting with All In’s Faith Mondejar and the late Nicolas Ilagan’s widow, Laarni nee Sibayan, formerly a Sun Star Baguio reporter.

He said that planting will continue until May when the first saplings planted will mature.