Chapter I

The Problem and Its Scope

Title: Bamboo Innovation Center: The Reinvigoration of the Domestic Bamboo Industry

Introduction
In todays highly competitive economy, innovation is more critical than ever. The
need to innovate arise to protect industries against external threats, explore different
avenues, seek new inspiration, and create new competitive advantage (Solis, 2015).
However, the lack of facility to venture new concepts possess a threat to many
good inventions and ideas of potential commercial value that can easily be stolen,
exploited and taken to other context where people can claim their originality and
intellectual property.
Philippines is dubbed as the regenerating ground for the unsung inventors of the
modern times. Our country have its bountiful resources and people with original and
brilliant ideas but do not have technical expertise to conceptualize them.
Innovation centers should therefore assist such people to turn their ideas into
reality. It is a vital venue to cultivate peoples ideas to help develop local industries,
which in return create a positive impact on the economic development, creating jobs
and generating wealth for the inventors and innovators.
Moreover, realizing the need to motivate a culture of invention and innovation,
these centers can also be a place to develop competitive thinking by activities such as
competitions and award schemes which provide a good platform to stimulate peoples
eagerness, awareness, and involvement.

Rationale

Over the years, bamboo has been one of the natural resources of the tropics,
and because of its wide distribution, availability, rapid growth, easy handling and
desirable properties, it has been well used in the daily life of the local community for a
wide range of purposes. It is not only used as construction material but it is also
indispensable to the food, music, medical, and textile industry.
Despite the challenges, the Philippines is the fifth top bamboo exporter in the
world next to China, European Union, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Its total exports of
bamboo reaches about $30 million annually, which represents a mere 10 percent of
what the US, the worlds leading bamboo importer, buys annually from China, which
amounts to about $300 million (Sunstar Davao, 2016).
Alegria is one of the municipality situated in the southern part of Cebu which rely
on bamboo as one of their basic source of livelihood and income aside from farming
and fishing. Woven baskets, hats and home decors are some of their bamboo products
that can be sold locally and even internationally.
However, domestic market for bamboo in the municipality will not be enough to
boost the industrys full potential. To meet the growing needs and demands of a highly
competitive economy, there is a need to innovate. The beauty of bamboo has been
seen but the lack of facility to explore allowing much more innovative ideas and moving
forward bamboo as a modern material is the main problem. Therefore, an innovation
center for bamboo is then needed to revolutionize and reinvigorate the domestic
bamboo industry by providing a venue for research and development of peoples
innovative ideas.

Theoretical Framework
The Theoretical Framework shows the schematic diagram of the laws and data
requirements that will be used as design guidelines in undertaking the study.

Executive Order No
879 of 2010

Construction
methods based on
the type or species
of bamboo
available

PBIDC Policy and

PD 1096
National Building
Code of the
Philippines

BP344

Physical and
environmental

Bamboo
Innovation
Center

Features

Facilities to be

Accessibility
Law

provided

Fire Code of the

Philippines

Sustainable Factors

Environmental and
Natural Resources
Law

Other Architectural
Factors such as
building utilities,
building character
& building materials

Conceptual Framework
Existing Laws and
provisions

Environmental and
Natural Resources Law
Forestry Law
Executive Order 879.
2010
National Building Code
of The Philippines
Fire Code of the

Existing Condition

Topography
Climate
Geology
RROW
Existing
Neighborhoods

Government Agencies
Involved:
DENR
EMB
PAWB
NAMRIA

CONSIDERATIONS

GREEN ARCHITECTURE
AND INNOVATION

PLANNING AND
DESIGNING
PROCESS OF

TROPICAL AND PASSIVE

DESIGN

BAMBOO
INNOVATION

STANDARDS ON SPACE
SIZES AND
DIMENSIONS
PLANNING AND URBAN
DESIGN
STANDARDS

DEVELOPMENT OF
BAMBOO
INNOVATION
CENTER

DESIRED OUTCOME

ARCHITECTURE

Spaces within
standards
Eco-friendly
User-friendly
Functionality
Sustainability

IMPACT/RESULT

Effective facility for

product and
development for
bamboo
Help the bamboo
industry towards
development and
growth
Foster innovation and

Significance of the Study

The study is aimed to design a Bamboo Innovation Center that will serve as a
research center, training facility and a venue for improvement and development of new
ideas, devices, and methods in handling and using bamboo. The implementation of the
study will not only benefit the community, but also what surrounds the community.
To the Local Government of Alegria. The study will bring great pride to the
municipality of Alegria. It is the recipient of a program for the construction of the first
Bamboo Innovation Center in Cebu.
To the Community of Alegria. The study promotes progress, advancement and
development of new ideas for the industry so that jobs will also be generated around the
community.
To the Youth or Students. The study addresses the students need to develop
inventive and innovative thinking, materialize their ideas and protect their intellectual
property.
To the Philippine Economy. The study will help the economy experience accelerated
growth in the long run. Hence, better innovative solutions for different community needs
were expected.
To the Researchers. The study serves as guide since the researchers will gain
knowledge on outlining the needs of the locality. It will enable the researchers to know
more about the industry and its processes.

Statement of the Problem

The study aims to develop a Bamboo Innovation Center that will serve as
research and training facility that will cultivate peoples ideas that will help in the
reinvigoration of the domestic bamboo industry in Alegria, Cebu.
The following sub-problems will serve as a guide to the researchers in
conducting the study and will be addressed in the process of research.
1. What are the existing types and kinds of bamboo species growing in the area:
1.a. What are the different methods in propagating bamboo?
1.b. Is there specific treatment for each species of bamboo?
1.c. What is the most suitable environment to grow bamboo?
1.d. When is the right time to harvest bamboo to maximize its strength and
minimize its damge, does it depend on its specie?
2. What are the proper techniques in treating bamboo?
3. What are the different processes involved in its product development?
4. What are different tools, equipment, and machineries to be used in the
development of engineered bamboo products?
5. What are currently on site and the locality in terms of:
3.a. Infrastructures,
3.b. Mode of Transportation with road network,
3.c. Utilities?
6. What are the different activities that the facility can cater to support the
Philippine Bamboo Industry?

Scope and Limitation

The study covers the field of industry and is limited to accommodate the Bamboo
Industry in the Municipality of Alegria. It is also limited to the government agencies
whose participation are vital to the study. The Department of Science and Technology
and Department of Environment and Natural Resources are the key agencies task to
oversee and construct facilities needed.
The gathering of data is within the 400 meters radius from the site in accordance
to the Urban Planning and Design Criteria by De Chiara and Koppelman.
The study was undertaken in school year 2016 to 2017.
Definition of Terms
The following words were defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and
Wikipedia in order for the researchers to identify the specific and correct usage of the
following words.
Bamboo. It is any of any various woody or arborescent grasses (as of the genera
Bambusa, Arundinaria, and Dendrocalamus of the subfamily Bambusoideae) of tropical
and temperate regionshaving hollow stems, thick rhizomes, and shoots usually used in
the food, construction, and medical industry.

Center. A venue from which an activity or process is directed, or on which it is focused.

Innovation. It is the introduction of something new like new ideas, methods or devices.

Innovator. A person or an organization, who is one of the first to introduce into reality,
something better than before or something that opens up a new area for others.

Reinvigoration. The act or process to make something healthier or to fill it with life,
energy, and strength.