DoST to open forest products hub in Isabela

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) is establishing a Forest Products Innovation and Training Center (FPITC) at Isabela State University’s Cabagan campus to support the development of wood and non-wood forest products in the Cagayan Valley.

The center, which is expected to be completed by 2027, will provide modern equipment such as computer numerical control machines, laser engravers, 3D printers and kiln dryers for research, product development and training.

DoST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute director Rico J. Cabangon said the facility will serve students, micro, small and medium enterprises, and other businesses in the region.

The center will leverage Isabela’s forest resources, including rattan and bamboo, as well as ISU’s large forestry student population of about 500 enrollees.

DoST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said the forest-products sector must move beyond raw materials by focusing on technology, design, resource efficiency, value addition and markets.

“The future of the forest-products sector cannot simply be about raw materials. It must increasingly be about knowledge, technology, design, resource efficiency, value addition, and markets,” Solidum said.

The FPITC is one of three similar centers planned nationwide, with the others to be established at Visayas State University and Central Mindanao State University.