From foorest to riches: ISU maximizes forest

From foorest to riches: ISU maximizes forest | Daily Tribune

The FPITC will serve as a training ground where students, researchers and industry players can explore new technologies and techniques in wood and bamboo processing.

“We believe that ISU has the capacity and commitment to carry this vision forward,” said Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) Dir. Rico Cabangon.

The facility houses modern fabrication and processing technologies, including CNC machining, laser engraving, 3D printing, drying and other forest-product processing equipment.

DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., meanwhile, said the facility presents an opportunity for Cagayan Valley to transform its abundant forest resources into higher-value products through science, technology and innovation.

“Having abundant forest resources does not automatically create a strong forest products industry. Resources create value only when we know how to use them wisely,” Solidum stressed.

He said material science, proper drying and preservation, engineering, precision machining, design, quality control and appropriate finishing could significantly increase the value and usefulness of forest-based materials.

“The question shouldn’t simply be, how much raw material can we produce? We should increasingly ask, how much value can we responsibly retain from every unit of material used?” he said.

Solidum also underscored that the center’s success should not be measured by the machinery installed but by how the technologies help local businesses, researchers, students and entrepreneurs.

“We shouldn’t measure the success of this center by the number of machines we have installed. We should measure it by what those machines enable people to accomplish,” he emphasized.

He cited the potential for local furniture makers to improve precision and reduce material waste, researchers to turn promising materials into products, students to gain modern manufacturing skills and entrepreneurs to develop higher-value goods.

Solidum likewise underscored the need to balance economic opportunities with environmental protection.

“Innovation in forest products must never mean creating greater pressure on our natural forests. We should prioritize sustainably sourced and plantation-grown materials,” he said.

The DOST chief also pushed for greater use of agricultural and forest residues that can be converted into composite materials, briquettes and other useful products under the agency’s broader Circular Economy Program.

With the infrastructure, equipment and capabilities already in place, Solidum said the challenge now is to maximize the center and ensure that government investments translate into actual benefits.

“This brings to my most important message today. This center must be utilized,” he stated.

“We have invested in the infrastructure. We have brought in the equipment. We have built the capability. What do we do now? We need to put it to work,” Solidum urged.

The secretary urged ISU and FPRDI to open the facility to students, researchers, entrepreneurs, cooperatives, small and medium enterprises and other stakeholders, while strengthening collaboration with government agencies, local governments and industries.

“Let them, our stakeholders, bring their problems to the center. And let the center help develop the solutions,” he said.

The ISU facility complements similar forest-products innovation centers at Visayas State University of Visayas and Caraga State University of Mindanao as part of a broader national effort to strengthen forest-products research, training and technology transfer.

“Although this is in Isabela, I hope that Isabela State University will remember that this is not simply a facility for one university or one province,” Solidum said.