Philippine Daily Inquirer
POLOMOLOK, SOUTH COTABATO—ON A busy street here, men with wrinkly hands would pound, curl, shape and bind pieces of bamboo and nipa or straw to produce a “bahay kubo” (thatched hut).
The bamboo workers here are building little straw huts for the thousands who were left homeless following the crippling storms that had hit Luzon late 2009.
When Malacañang offered flood victims little straw huts to replace the houses that were lost during the storms, that announcement caused quite a stir here among those whose livelihood largely revolved around bamboo.
“Maybe we can help them [flood victims] since we are the most highly skilled workers in the country,” says Ronilo Apitong, echoing the sentiments of other craftsmen who wish to build huts for the homeless.
Inspired craftsmanship
Master builders here have displayed original and inspired craftsmanship, acquiring quite a reputation among the rich and poor in South Cotabato and beyond.
The workers painstakingly handcraft chairs, tables, beds, cabinets, and decorative products of every shape and design. They have also honed their skills in building nipa or straw huts, each with two beds, a porch and small kitchen.
Some of the attractive huts that they have built now line a highway here, inviting motorists to slow down and admire the craftsmen’s handiwork. Many have since bought their very own bahay kubo from the ingenious craftsmen.
As a “green” resource, bamboo has immense practical uses among the craftsmen based at Crossing Palkan in Polomolok, just behind a massive pineapple estate at the foot of Mount Matutum.
Once hard up, the village of Crossing Palkan is now known as the bamboo craft capital of the Philippines—as many as 5, 000 residents depend on bamboo for their livelihood, from farmers, cogon growers and builders to capitalists and merchants.
Multimillion-peso industry
Apitong became a craftsman only about a year ago. He says business is now great and prospects appear to be bright.
Apitong’s only regret, he says, is that his family did not jump into bamboo crafting right away, unlike others who had decades ago.
The bamboo trade at Crossing Palkan has since become a multimillion-peso industry. Apitong estimates that the industry may grow even further over the next five years because of an increase in demand while prices have likewise risen. Some bamboo products now fetch as much as P45, 000 apiece. To meet the demand, farmers in South Cotabato’s upland villages have been advised to grow more bamboo and cogon grass.
Apitong, who is also the village chief, aims to further boost the industry and provide livelihood for 350 poor families before his term ends.
It may sound ambitious, but for Aljon Marquez, a father to four, Apitong’s plan is realistic and attainable.
With P30, 000, two workmen can finish a hut in 15 days. That hut may then be sold for up to P45, 000, depending on its size.
Surge in demand
The craftsmen at Crossing Palkan are themselves the designers and engineers.
“We also look at the trends. Maybe, in the next few years, we hope to make floor tiles, table tops and panels,” Apitong says.
There is now a surge in demand for bamboo huts. The craftsmen were able to ship about 20 huts to Japan.
“This is the only business that most people here are familiar with. Most of us believe that bamboo homes are attractive, but only a few people in the cities are aware of this. We do use the right kind of bamboo. This is important for the business,” says Apitong.
Asked what pushed people to patronize this once poor man’s timber, Apitong says bamboo is now seen “as an ideal green structure that may curb the threat of climate change.”
He adds that bamboo “has become a sustainable replacement” at a time when illegal logging is rife.
