New bamboo furniture designs target bigger markets

Antique’s bamboo furniture will soon get new and modern designs with the support of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). 

The DTI is bent on providing support to the organization of bamboo carpenters in the town of Sibalom to give them new designs for their products that could capture a bigger market here and abroad, said Deo Virgil R. Tan of DTI Antique.

In a meeting with 37 carpenters and Arlene Galopo, senior trade and industry development specialist, the makers of bamboo furniture in Barangays Maasin, Villafont and Salvacion expressed the need for new designs, equipment and more market opportunities for their products.

In response, the DTI provided them with new designs for living-room sets, bar stools and reclining chairs made by known designers.

To facilitate their empowerment and access to more opportunities, bamboo carpenters will soon form their organizations per barangay with the support of the DTI.

The organization will also be invited for product display during trade fairs and expositions.

The DTI emphasized that quality control of the products should be made by the organization before it will be released to the market, Tan said.

These are the initial activities and engagements in which the DTI and bamboo carpenters agreed on during the meeting.

In the coming months, more capability-building activities and skills training will be conducted to ensure that carpenters come up with quality products, Tan said.