The young shoots of edible bamboo, sliced and cooked in dishes like ginataang labong and dinengdeng. Sold fresh, boiled, bottled or dried.
Bamboo: from shoot to house
From shoot to house: every bamboo business
The fastest-growing building material we have: 14 products made from bamboo, from labong and bilao to treated poles, furniture and houses, and who makes them near you.
What’s made from each part of the bamboo
- 1Young shoots LabongLabong (bamboo shoots)
- 2Poles (culms) KawayanTreated bamboo polesEngineered bamboo boards and flooringBamboo furnitureBamboo houses and structuresBamboo crafts and musical instrumentsBamboo straws, utensils and skewers
- 3Splits and strips Biyak at lilisWoven bamboo: bilao, kaing and basketsSawali panels, mats and blinds
- 4Leaves DahonBamboo leaf tea and fodder
- 5Charcoal and vinegar Uling at suka ng kawayanBamboo charcoalBamboo vinegar
- 6Living plant Buhay na kawayanBamboo seedlings and planting
- 7Fiber and textiles Hibla at telaBamboo fiber and textiles
1Young shoots Labong
2Poles (culms) Kawayan
Mature bamboo poles, treated against insects and rot, for building, fences, scaffolding and farms. Untreated bamboo can be eaten by bukbok beetles within months.
Strips of bamboo glued and pressed into boards, beams, flooring and panels that work like wood. A growing alternative to timber.
Chairs, beds, tables and school desks made from bamboo poles or engineered bamboo. Classic Filipino furniture that is popular again for resorts and homes.
Bahay kubo, cottages, gazebos and pavilions built from bamboo. Resorts, farms and events want them for their natural look.
Cups, lamps, speakers, souvenirs and instruments such as flutes, marimbas and native percussion. Small, high-value items from a cheap material.
Plastic-free straws, spoons, chopsticks, skewers and barbecue sticks. Restaurants use skewers by the thousand every week.
3Splits and strips Biyak at lilis
Winnowing trays, harvest baskets, fish traps and decorative baskets woven from thin bamboo strips. Everyday tools that are also popular as décor.
Woven bamboo panels for walls and ceilings, plus mats and roll-up blinds. Light, cheap and cool.
4Leaves Dahon
Young bamboo leaves dried for a light, grassy tea; the rest of the leaves can feed goats and cattle.
5Charcoal and vinegar Uling at suka ng kawayan
Charcoal made from bamboo offcuts. It burns cleanly for cooking and is also sold for deodorizing and water filters.
A liquid collected from the smoke when making bamboo charcoal. Farmers use it, diluted, in organic farming.
6Living plant Buhay na kawayan
Young bamboo plants for farms, riverbanks and slopes. Bamboo grows fast, holds soil against erosion, and can be harvested for decades.
7Fiber and textiles Hibla at tela
Soft yarn and fabric made from bamboo, for towels, shirts, socks, baby clothes and blends with cotton or other local fibers. Buyers ask for…
Everyone in the bamboo chain on the map
Businesses will appear here as they join.