25/11/2025
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๐ต๐๐๐:
๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐
๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐งโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐
๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐๐โ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ | ๐ฝ๐ค๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ ๐พ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ, ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง. Faculty members from Eastern Samar State Universityโs (ESSU) Environmental Science Department (ESD) led the facilitation of the Borongan City Bamboo Industry Development Council (BC-BIDC) Meeting and the three-day Bamboo Industry Development Planning Workshop, marking a major public service contribution of the department to the cityโs sustainable development and climate resilience efforts.
The council meeting, presided over by Borongan City ENRO Forester Jojito B. Acla, convened stakeholders from LGUs, national government agencies, NGOs, peopleโs organizations, and the business sector to review City Ordinance No. 242, s. 2022 and formally launch the planning process for Boronganโs bamboo industry roadmap.
Representing the academe, Marciano B. Cadalin and Edgar I. Peque, together with co-faculty members Rebecca A. Corre, Lylah Daisy A. Acorin, and Rey Niel C. Salac (College R&D Coordinator), formed the ESSU Activity Management Team. They served as facilitators, resource speakers, and design leads of the workshop, contributing expertise in bamboo resource inventory, environmental policy analysis, and participatory planning.
During the workshop, the ESSU team presented updates from the initial bamboo resource mapping conducted across Boronganโs barangays, vital information for identifying priorities in bamboo propagation, processing, marketing, and community-based enterprise development.
Over the three-day activity, the ESSU team worked closely with partners from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), led by Provincial Director Ruthelma S. Samonte, assisted by Senior Trade Industry Development Specialist Benjamin D. Panaguiton Jr., and the Borongan City Environment and Natural Resources Office (BCENRO) headed by For. Jojito B. Acla, with support from Environmental Management Specialist Vicky Mae C. Gavilan and her team. Together, they facilitated key planning components including situational analysis, stakeholder mapping, SWOT analysis, vision setting, and action planning.
These collaborative sessions culminated in the adoption of a unified vision for Boronganโs bamboo sector:
โA climate-resilient bamboo industry, renowned for its sustainable resource base, innovative high-value products, and vibrant community-based enterprises that drive inclusive economic growth and environmental stewardship.โ
The workshop concluded with draft sectoral action plans covering bamboo propagation, processing, marketing, and support services. These outputs will be refined and subsequently presented to the Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) for possible adoption as Borongan Cityโs official Local Bamboo Industry Development Plan (LBIDP).
City officials, including representatives from DTI, DENR, CPDO, City Coop, City Tourism and the business sector, expressed strong support for the initiative and acknowledged ESSUโs Environmental Science Department for its essential role in helping steer Borongan toward a coordinated, research-informed, and climate-aligned bamboo industry roadmap.
The engagement is also anchored on the Environmental Science Departmentโs Research, Innovation, and Extension (RIE) Program, Socioecological-based Actions for Vital Ecosystems (SAVEs for Sustainable Communities). Through SAVEs, the department delivers science-based, community-responsive services focused on sustainable resource management, climate action, and evidence-informed local planning. The facilitation of the Bamboo Industry Planning Workshop is one of its core public service commitments to support LGUs and sectoral partners in building resilient ecosystems and empowered communities.
