A group of students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) visited the Forest Products Research and Development Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-FPRDI) last 5 January 2024 to learn and talk about possible collaborations involving the institute’s Bamboo Musical Instruments (BMI) Innovation R&D Program.
The trip was part of their academic course that requires students to craft and implement capstone projects that will “promote positive social impact to a community in need.” Focusing on the Arts and Design cluster, the students are exploring the possibility of training out-of-school youth on BMI making.
The students were met by DOST-FPRDI OIC-Director Dr. Rico J. Cabangon, BMI Program Leader Forester Aralyn Q. Cortiguerra, and Technical Services Division’s Forester Zenaida R. Reyes.
They toured the BMI Processing Center, housing BMI prototypes and traditional instruments collected from the country’s indigenous communities. The center was established under the BMI R&D Program that developed technologies to improve the processing and production of BMIs.
The visit was made possible through the assistance of Bamboo Professionals, Inc. led by Dr. Florentino O. Tesoro, Forester Robert A. Natividad and Angelito B. Exconde.
For more information on DOST-FPRDI’s BMI Program, visit its official website: https://phbmi.com/.# (Maybell Mariella A. Palaypayon & Apple Jean M. de Leon, 11 January 2024)
