House of Representatives Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Chairperson CIBAC Party-List Representative Bro. Eddie Villanueva hails the approval on 3rd and final reading of House Bill No. 11394 which seeks to mainstream the use of bamboo as a sustainable material for the built environment.
House Bill No. 11394 aims to mainstream the use of bamboo in the built environment by creating the Bamboo Structural Code (BSC) and Bamboo Architectural Code (BAC) and integrating these into existing national building codes.
Within three years if enacted into law, the bill aims to make at least 50% of wood-based materials in new government buildings to come from bamboo. It also introduces education of bamboo utilization into architecture, engineering, and related services curricula.
“With this bill, we are sowing seeds for a greener and more sustainable structures and buildings. Bamboo is a gift from God—strong, renewable, locally-available and deeply rooted in Filipino culture. We must harness it not only for environmental consideration but also for economic empowerment,” said CIBAC Rep. Villanueva.
The bill also grants fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to farmer cooperatives and business enterprises in the bamboo value chain to encourage planting, propagation, production and manufacture of bamboo products.
“As bamboo bends but does not break, so must our commitment to just and sustainable development remain unyielding. This is a forward-looking, climate-aligned, and pro-poor legislation. I thank our colleagues for appreciating and approving this bill,” ended Rep. Bro. Eddie.
