The Philippines is endowed with the rich natural resources inherent in many tropical
countries. The plant species are so diverse that many plant forms have become integral
components in the way of life of many Filipinos. Aside from the woody trees that are the
major and dominant components of forest ecosystems, rattans are considered as highly
important non-wood forest resources. Over time the rattans became very important sources
of livelihood and the mainstays of the global cane industry common to most ASEAN
countries. In a recent report, the Philippines was regarded as the centre of the rattan furniture
industry and highly acclaimed with the best and most elegant designs known in the world.
Rattan poles and finished products have been the top exports.
Like any forest product derived from the wild in high demand, rattans in natural
stands suffered from heavy extraction. Such pressure was felt in the 1970s, prompting the
government to impose a ban on the export of raw materials. This situation was however,
partly addressed by replenishing the raw materials by artificial means through plantation
establishment.
Interest was sustained in rattan nursery improvement because of the governments’
policy of using rattans as reforestation species to rehabilitate watershed areas with added
productive value, along with other commercial species. The integration of rattans in forest
plantation development opened avenues for livelihood development options for upland
dwellers on one hand and for future augmentation of supply of resources on the other.
Government projects and tenurial agreements that include rattan are the Upland
Development Projects (UDP), Community Forestry Projects (CFP), the Community Based
Forest Management (CBFM), the Socialized Integrated Forest Management Agreement
(SIFMA) and the Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA). In the private sector
the National Development Corporation in collaboration with the Paper Industries
Corporation and what was then Provident Farms, Inc. engaged in massive plantation
development on a commercial scale. This developed opportunities to explore practical
methods of rattan nursery protocols, including seed germination.
One step towards the establishment of a plantation is the propagation of planting
stock in the nursery. Initially, the government spearheaded the trial planting of this relatively
new plantation crop. The dearth of technology on rattan nurseries compelled the government
to develop appropriate methods in order to be able to establish plantations. Research work
was conducted to explore the technology for rattan seed germination, nursery establishment
and silviculture. Thus, the protocols for raising planting stock were developed and were
disseminated by various means such as print medium (How to Series, Research Digest),
pilot demonstrations and training.Community rattan nurser
