Bamboo Industry in Maragondon, Cavite Thesis Statement: The
bamboo industry serves as a steady source of income and is the key
to making the economic status of the town boost. I. Maragondon is
an agricultural town. A. It has reserved hectares of lands for
agricultural products. B. The town has ideal climatic conditions
for crops. II. Maragondon is an ideal place for the growth of
bamboo. A. There are many barangays which reserve hectares of lands
for bamboo plantations. B. The town has fertile, loamy, and moist
soil. III. The government promotes the towns products. A. The
government features bamboo products in Maragondon Day, held every
7th of September. B. The products are being featured in various
exhibits. IV. The town has won different prizes for having creative
products. A. It was awarded Dangal ng Barangay Products by DTI. B.
The Bamboo Lampshade won as Best Non-Food Product during the
AGRARYO Trade Fair Exhibit. V. Bamboo industry is a key to giving
the town a progressive economic status. A. The town meets the
growth requirements of bamboo which makes it an ideal living place
for the plant. B. The bamboo products have already attracted
customers and will be attracting more in the future years.
C. The products are durable and stylish which makes them high in
demand. D. If the industrys more properly handled, a major impact
in the finance of the town could be made.
An Overview of the Municipality of Maragondon Maragondon,
situated in the province of Cavite, is 54 kilometers south of Metro
Manila and elevates 78 feet above sea level, along the flatlands of
the mountain ranges bordering Cavite Province and Batangas. It is
located West of the province, at approximately 120 degress 40.4
minutes East longitude and 140 degrees 10.6 minutes North latitude.
On the Southern side are its mountain ranges serving as objects of
tourism and buffers of nature, namely, Mt. Pico de Loro, Mt.
Palaypalay, Mt. Hulog, Mt. Mataas na Gulod, Mt. Nagpatong and Mt.
Buntis. Its dry season is from October to April, and the wet
season, from May to September. Its primary means of livelihood is
farming, bamboo industry, and its principal crops are rice,
sugarcane, corn, cassava, banana, and pineapple. Maragondon is the
largest town in the province having an approximate area of 16, 549
hectares. It is surrounded by Naic on the North, Indang on the
North-East, Ternate on the West, Nasugbu, Batangas on the South,
Bailen and Alfonso on the East, and Magallanes on the SouthWest.
The 27 barangays of Maragondon are Poblacion 1-A, Poblacion 1-B,
Poblacion 2-A, Poblacion 2-B, Caingen, Garita A, Garita B, Sn
MMiguel A, San Miguel B, Pinagsanhn A, PInagsanhan B, Bucal 1,
Bucal 2, Bucal 3-A, Bucal 3-B, Bucal 4-A, Bucal 4-B, Tulay A
(Kanluran), Tulay B (Silangan), Pantihan 1, Pantihan 2, Pantihan 3,
Pantihan 4, Mabato, Talipusngo, Layong Mabilog and Sta. Mercedes
(Patungan). Maragondon was originally named Madagundong, a word
synonymous to Maugong, which was derived from Uugong. Uugong was
the initial place of civil government of
Maragondon. The flowing and cascading waters of Uugong, a place
in Capantayan, created a remarkable sound, dagundong. And so the
name Madagundong was established. Feeling dissatisfied about the
given name, the people appealed to the gobernadorcillo to change
the name Madagundong to Marigondon, in honor of the towns patron
saint, The Nuestra Senora Maria de la Asuncion. It was Lope K.
Santos, a member of a geographic committee which investigated and
revised Philippine town names, who recommended changing Marigondon
to the present official name of the town, Maragondon. It was in
this town where Supremo Andres Bonifacio was court-martialled for
the crime of treason. On May 10, 1897, the brothers Andres and
Procopio Bonifacio met their death sentence at the plain of Mt.
Hulog, which was then called Mt. Nagpatong. The house where they
had their trial is still preserved at the present, serving as a
tourist spot and historical landmark. In this town rests a 384-year
old catholic church possessing a baroque altar and pulpit. In here
you will be witnessing too the view of mountain ranges specifically
at Talipusngo. Other tourist spots include the house of General
Emiliano Riego de Dios, the scene of the Maragondon River, Kay Akle
Irrigation Dam which gets its water supply from the major rivers of
Maragondon, and Mabato Waterfalls and Beach Resort. Population
Information The table below shows the statistical data of the
population of the town. Year 2000 2001 15 722 16 326 Male 15 455 16
209 Female 31 177 32 535 Total
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
16 953 17 347 18 013 18 705 19 424 16 926 17 169 17 355 17 527
17 879
16 831 17 596 18 230 18 929 19 653 16 678 17 098 17 272 17 623
17 802
33 784 34 943 36 243 37 634 39 077 33 604 34 112 34 627 35 150
35 681
Start of the Industry When Former President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo launched One Town One Product (OTOP) project which promotes
entrepreneurship, the municipality of Maragondon proudly identified
bamboo as their main product which they would like to promote since
it is abundant in the town. The fine characteristics of the bamboo
which grow in the town made it a promising object of export. OTOP
also supports micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which
manufacture, offer and market products or services which are
processed or made with the use of indigenous raw materials and most
especially, the local skills and talents. The Bamboo Plant Bamboo
is one of the fastest-growing plants, reportedly having an average
growth rate of 100 cm in 24 hours. The growth rate is dependent on
the local soil and climatic conditions. It is
the longest grass on Earth, varying in height from 30
centimeters to 40 meters. It lasts from 2050 years. It controls
soil erosion and stabilizes riverbanks. It helps in the
rehabilitation of degraded land, conservation of topsoil, and in
water management. It could grow in most places in the world, even
in the adverse conditions, whether dry or water-logged. Bamboo has
been long known as a source of material for construction and
handicraft both in rural and urban areas. It is usually preferred
because of its light, yet strong, sturdy, straight, durable and
versatile characteristics. There are a lot of other hardwoods which
have these characteristics too but bamboo grows a lot faster than
these hardwoods such as narra, yakal, and mahogany which require
about 20 years or more to grow. In a span of 3 years, bamboo
grasses are ready for use. It has been beneficial in many
industrial and agricultural sectors. It is a good material for
furniture, fishing gear, handicrafts, and musical instruments.
Maragondon as Bamboo Capital of Cavite Maragondon is one of the
municipalities of Cavite which have an abundant supply of bamboo.
In proof with this is that 479.470 hectares (2.9%) of the 16 549
hectares of Maragondon land is devoted to bamboo production. Most
of the farmers in the place engage in bamboo plantations since the
lands in the place are really suitable for propagation. But since
there is a need for more income, the farmers had sought new ways on
how to improve their lives to escape poverty. In line with this
matter, the thought of processing bamboo products was introduced.
They process their bamboo plants to improve and contribute to their
livelihood development. The fertile mountain soil, clay and loam
are abundant in the lands of the town which make it ideal for the
bamboos growth. They tend to grow in moist, fertile, and
well-drained soil. The bamboo plants even grow spontaneously in the
sides of Maragondon River.
The fresh bamboos are dried at first. After drying, they are
treated with gas and solignum. Then, they are treated with
pesticide. These treatments are effective for a lifetime, thus,
making the products more efficient. After the treatments, the
bamboos are then ready for construction of products. In times of
stormy weathers, problems in the process of the production arise.
One of these is the difficulty in drying the bamboos. If there are
orders of products from customers during stormy days, it would be
hard for them to meet the customers needs. Thus, the makers thought
of drying bamboo grasses in bulks before rainy season arrives. The
following table shows the bamboo plantations of Maragondon with
their corresponding areas. Barangay Layong Mabilog Mabato
Talipusngo Pantihan 1 Pantihan 2 Pantihan 3 Pantihan 4 Tulay B
Pinagsanhan B TOTAL Area (Hectares) 48.21 7.20 13.97 15.23 12.10
11.30 11.00 142.97 217.41 479.47
Kawayang Maragondon Rural Workers Association Aiming to boost
the bamboo industry of the town and maximize the income from this
industry, the government under the leadership of former Mayor Monte
Andaman, established a cooperative association, namely, Kawayang
Maragondon Rural Workers Association. Members of these association
are composed of farmers and entrepreneurs. They process products
themselves, and sell these goods in a shop in Layong Mabilog,
Maragondon, Cavite. Bamboo Products Through the creativity and
joint efforts of the members of the said society, various products
out of bamboo were formed. Bamboos produce durable products.
Through the inventiveness of the creators, they were able to build
bamboo products. One of its finest products is the bamboo
lampshade. Its composed of bamboo tubes embedded with multi-colored
beads. Inside these tubes are the light bulbs. Other products
include pen holder, decorations, furniture set, picture frame, mug
and a lot more.
Pen Holder
Mug
Picture Frame
Furniture Set Maragondon Day
Decoration for Home
The town has an annual celebration of the foundation day of
Maragondon, being held on 27th of September. One of the main
attraction in this event is, every public school in the town,
elementary, high school, or college level, sends their
representative group to battle for the crown of the best dance
troupe. It is not an ordinary dance battle since, the dancers from
these schools, are required to wear their own designed fashionable
bamboo clothes. If ever they will be using props, they also have to
use bamboo. There will be a parade which starts at about 5 AM. In
this parade, the dancers have to show their dance moves together
with their preppy clothes to impress the board of judges. After the
parade, the ultimate dance showdown starts at the Maragondon Town
Plaza. Several people attend this event and witness this dance
battle. Bamboo for Export The beauty of the products has attracted
various customers from different neighboing towns. Some of the
customers are De La Salle University- Dasmarinas, CVSU- Indang,
TESDA, DTI, provincial office, and the town offices.
To promote the products, the government has joined different
shows and exhibits to show the masterpieces of the Maragondon
people. The products have already been featured in Kabuhayang Swak
na Swak, as sponsored by Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). They
also exhibited the products in the Cavite Product Fest in Bacoor,
Cavite, Agraryo Trade Fair Exhibit in MegaMall, Mandaluyong City
and Trade Fair Exhibit in SM Dasmarinas. Awards The elegance of the
bamboo products has given the town honor and prestige. The
following are the awards earned by the town for its products. 1.
May 11, 2006 Maragondondon bamboo products identified by TESDA as
Dangal ng Barangay Products 2. June 11, 2006 Bamboo Lampshade-
Winner- Best Non-Food Product (Houseware/ Home Furnishing) during
the AGRARYO Trade Fair Exhitbit at Mega Mall, Mandaluyong City
Problems and Recommendations One problem faced by the industry is
that instead of making the towns own products, some land owners
sell their fresh bamboos directly to customers. It would be a lot
better if the residents themselves create their own products
instead of selling the raw materials. Making ones products would be
attracting more income, but since some people want instant money,
they tend to sell them raw. These raw bamboo products are sold to
different customers and these customers make their own products
from it. So instead of making the economy status of the town
progressive, the status has just been steady. The industry has no
really major impact on the financial status of the town. If only
there could be a way to limit the selling of raw bamboo
grasses and the town will all be limiting the making of products
inside the town only, then it would mean more income not only for
the creators but also for the whole town. It would be better if
there would be more promotions and advertisements to attract other
Filipinos and even the foreigners too, since they only show the
products in public once in a while. Prognosis The bamboo industry
has been a steady source of income for the people. And yet, no
significant progress can really be seen in the economy of the town
because of the abovementioned reason. If this will continue, the
economic trend will be will be just be steadily constant. But to be
better, the government has to find ways on how to make a
significant impact on the economy of the town. This industry will
surely continue for many years since the creativity of the people
has already made an impact on customers. The climatic and
topographic features of the town makes it possible for the growth
of the fine and durable bamboo plants. If the government would take
action about the problems, then surely, this industry would really
bloom, will give more income and would provide a progressive
economic status. Bamboo industry is a potential key to making the
economy of the town boost, and will continuously give honor for the
town.
Works Cited Camacho, Leonarda. The Bamboo. State of the
Philippine Environment Part VIII. Contrano, Marivic. Personal
Interview. 27 December 2011 Maragondon Municipal Office.
Socio-Economic Profile.
Appendix A Photographs Bamboo Products
Mango Industry in Maragondon, Cavite
Ariane I. Ramirez
Mr. Joey Ogatis Communications II Research Paper 14 February
2012
