Bamboo as a construction material is both malakas and maganda

Bamboo is intricately tied to Philippine culture.

- AVANT GARDENER

It's used to make bahay kubos and furniture, and even figures in the story of Malakas and Maganda, the first man and woman. Now, several groups are advocating for its use as building material. One of these is 2024 Newsmaker of the Year Kawayan Collective Agriculture Cooperative, whose recent projects include the benches in the Philippine Pavilion at the Frankfurt Bookfair and the Department of Science and Technology's Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI).

Architect Ray Villanueva and his wife, social entrepreneur Amy Villanueva initially started the company as a sole proprietorship before transitioning to a cooperative. "We felt it was the best way to establish, grow, and root the company in the community and to have everyone take ownership and share in the profits," he said.