KEY FACTS

• The Republic of the Philippines is a founding member of INBAR, joining on November 6th 1997
• Philippines’ designated focal point with INBAR is the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
• 62 bamboo species have been documented in the Philippines, 21 of them endemic. 11 of the present bamboo species are considered to have high economic value. [Data compiled by Philippines Forest Management Bureau]
• There are about 64 species of Rattan in the Philippines, most of them belonging to the Calamus and Daemonorops genera. [Data compiled by Philippines Forest Management Bureau]
• The total natural stand of bamboo in the Philippines is estimated at around 10,000 hectares, of which private plantations account for over 1,500 hectares. Total bamboo stock in the Philippines has been calculated to be above one million clumps and 38 million culms. [Data compiled by Philippines Forest Management Bureau]
• Major bamboo applications comprise the manufacturing of furniture and handicrafts, housing and fish pen construction, and foodstuff production. [Data compiled by Philippines Forest Management Bureau]
• n 2015, the Philippines was the world’s fifth largest exporter of bamboo and rattan products (considering the EU as a whole), with a total export value of USD 34 million [UN COMTRADE Database]
• The Philippines’ main bamboo and rattan product export categories in 2015 were rattan basketwork (worth about USD 11.55 million), bamboo and rattan seats (USD 9.41 million), and rattan raw materials (at USD 5.95 million). [UN COMTRADE Database]