KORONADAL CITY -- Products made of bamboo were the centerpiece attraction of the weeklong "Kawayan Festival" that seeks to enhance the chances of the highly regarded grass as a multi-million peso income earner.

For three years now, the Provincial Government has been giving importance to bamboo by way of the Kawayan Festival held every February.

For this year, the Kawayan Festival, which also aims to attract tourist interests, was recently held in Koronadal City.

Although the event's kickoff celebration was low key, the affair was a well deserved break for craftsmen to showcase their unique creations.

"We have been provided an avenue where our products have bigger chances of being noticed by buyers. This festival is a big push for us to continue our trade," said Sandy Torrico, owner of Crossing Palkan Bamboo Craft.

Torrico, who is based in Polomolok town where bamboo-based products is an emerging industry, was among those who competed for the top price in kubo making contest.

Emmanuel Jumilla, manager of the South Cotabato Productivity and Technology center where the festival was held, said they want the bamboo industry to be fully developed for the benefit of both the local economy and tourism industry.

"We envision the province to be a major producer of quality bamboo crafts that visitors can buy as pasalubong for their loved ones," Jumilla said.

Apart from the bamboo huts and dining sets outside the center, handicrafts like lampshades, wall frames and vases, among others, were displayed inside the building.

These handicrafts are also produced by inmates from the South Cotabato provincial jail as part of livelihood projects inside while awaiting trial.

South Cotabato Governor Daisy Avance Fuentes said bamboo is an integral part of the provincial culture, referring to thatched houses in rural areas made of bamboo.

"Kawayan (bamboo) mirrors the soul of South Cotabato. We should be the ones who should first patronize our bamboo products," she said.

Fuentes said the quality of handicrafts, particularly produced by the inmates, have improved dramatically.

"Our prisoners are making remarkable products that are of export quality," she said.

The festival also highlights the culinary importance of bamboo.

Mouth-watering cuisines with bamboo as main ingredient were presented in a dining arrangement sand table setting that was also bamboo inspired.

Locals commonly cook the shoots of bamboo by adding coconut milk and different kinds of vegetables to it like beans and "saluyot." (RBS)