The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) plans to establish at least three more bamboo textile fiber innovation hubs (BTFIH) by next year, in addition to the three now in place. One might open this year in Lagangilang, Abra, according to PTRI officer-in-charge Julius Leano.
Next year, one such center will be created in Maramag, Bukidnon, and another in Pangasinan. The precise sites are yet to be identified.
The third hub opened earlier this month in Maragondon, Cavite, after the first two in Naguilian, La Union, and Cauayan, Isabela. Bamboo fibers have the potential to be utilized in apparel and household textiles. According to Leano, nonwovens might be utilised for shoes, luggage, and acoustic insulation.
According to him, such centers enable communities to turn bamboo into raw bamboo textile fiber (BTF) and prepare it for textile production.
“The technologies are straightforward, deployable, and scalable.” A news source reported Leano as adding, “The machines can also be fabricated locally for more massive and extensive deployment.”
The BTFIH Cavite would ensure that bamboo textile fibers were available for further textile production operations.
