Bamboo as textile fiber

Here is part two of my series on PTRI's (Philippine Textile Research Institute) Bamboo Fiber Textile Innovation Hubs, continuing from December 19, 2025.

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In the previous column, PTRI director Dr. Julius L. Leaño, Jr. discussed PTRI's bamboo fiber program and why textile is important to national identity. Now, we begin with the current applications of bamboo fiber.

Different applications

PTRI started with wearables, blending bamboo with other fibers like cotton and silk, then expanding to home textiles like draperies, linen, and upholstery, the latter not being very particular about textile fineness. "Bamboo can only go so fine, as the size of the yarn," Leaño explained, adding that this makes it suitable for home textile applications. "There's a big market for this. They say that the home market is bigger than all of the wearable markets put together, so the Philippines wants to position itself where our output can really see value."

PTRI is also trying to find use for bamboo species that aren't being used for major economic purposes, such as climbing bamboo, which cannot be used for furniture and construction.

They are also trying to promote bamboo for non-wovens, where turning the fiber into yarn isn't necessary. This includes footwear, filters, and backings. "Bamboo has a very good sound impedance property, so it's good for theater walls, so we are looking at the industrial application of bamboo as well," Leaño said.

Textile hubs