REGISTERED bamboo plantation development owners and processing enterprises can avail of incentives under a policy and be allowed without restriction the exportation of bamboo poles and resources derived from the registered farms and/or plantations.

In a webinar, Ildefonso Quilloy, chief of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Forest Resources Management Division, said DENR Administrative Order (DAO) 2021-26 on rules and regulations governing the establishment, harvesting, and transport of bamboo provides incentives to investors of bamboo plantation development and processing enterprises, and even support activities.

Quilloy said that under Section 13 of DAO 2021-26, which became effective on Sept. 8, 2021, plantation owners shall be exempted from payment of government share for the use of public lands for commercial bamboo plantation for the first 10 years, or when the plantation owner starts to harvest his or her plantation, whichever comes first.

“[And], of course, they are exempted from paying forest charges considering that bamboo is planted and they can export the bamboo without restriction,” he said.

Quilloy said the bamboo plantation should be registered for the owners and processing enterprises to avail of these incentives.

He said bamboo poles transported outside of the municipality shall be required to have the bamboo farm registered.

The registration is meant to systematize and harmonize all incentives into the system, including approving authority, he added.

Quilloy said the registration process has been harmonized or streamlined under the DAO.

However, registration shall not be required for backyard farmers who will harvest and utilize their bamboo for personal use, as long as these bamboo will be transported only within their municipality, he said.