Department of Trade and Industry

Release Date:
Reference: Bureau of Philippine Standards (751.4740/48)
bps@dti.gov.ph

ISO TC appoints PH as Convener for WGs on Bamboo

Dr. Rico J. Cabangon (third from left) and Atty. Dulce Blanca Punzalan (fifth from the right) with the other members

of the BPS Technical Committee on Bamboo and Rattan (BPS/TC 76) and BPS officers.

The Philippines further strengthens its representation in the development of International Standards
as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee on Bamboo and Rattan
(ISO/ TC 296) appoints two of the most outstanding Filipino bamboo experts to lead its working groups.

The Department of Trade and Industry - Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS) is proud to
announce the appointments of Dr. Rico J. Cabangon, Chairman of the BPS Technical Committee on
Bamboo and Rattan (BPS/TC 76) and Atty. Dulce Blanca Punzalan, Vice-chair of the same, as conveners
of the newly established Working Group on Engineered Bamboo for General Purposes (WG 05) and WG
03 on Bamboo Charcoal, respectively. There are currently five (5) WGs under ISO/TC 296.

The establishment of WG 05 and Dr. Cabangon’s appointment were among the resolutions made in
the 2018 Working Group and Plenary Meetings of the ISO/TC 296 held from September 03 to 07, 2018 in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia which the DTI-BPS attended. Atty. Punzalan’s appointment on the other hand, was
previously settled in an ISO/ TC 296 Ballot and was announced in the same event.

The DTI-BPS has been a participating member to the ISO/TC 296 and all its WGs since its
commencement in 2015. The WG 05’s initial agenda is to refine the title and scope of its preliminary work
item while WG 03 is already progressing on its working draft.

As conveners of the ISO TC working groups, Dr. Cabangon, Atty. Punzalan and the BPS/TC 76
shall perform the following functions: (a) convene and chair meetings of the working group; (b) lead the

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group in reaching consensus; (c) manage the working group’s project/s to the agreed target dates and in
accordance with the project plan; and (d) work to ensure that the required technical competence is
available in the working group.

“This development favors greatly the growing bamboo industry in the country.”, states DTI-BPS
Director, Engr. James E. Empeño. “With these new roles, our local bamboo industry will have a louder
voice in the development of ISO standards on bamboo products, as our concerns and interests can now be
put forward with less challenges.”, Dir. Empeño adds.

DTI – Consumer Protection Group (DTI-CPG) Undersecretary, Atty. Ruth B. Castelo encourages
experts from the bamboo industry to take an active part in standards development. Usec. Castelo conveys,
“The betterment of the bamboo industry through technical standards significantly benefits the consumers,
manufacturers, importers and exporters. The DTI appreciates the work of the BPS/TC 76 and is grateful for
the inputs that the industry extends to the committee.”

Other than chairing BPS/TC 76, Dr. Rico J. Cabangon works as Chief of the Engineered Products
Development Division under the Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and
Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI). Whereas, Atty. Dulce Blanca Punzalan serves as the President and
COO of Filbamboo Exponents, Inc. and was appointed World Bamboo Ambassador and World Bamboo
Organization representative to the United Nations Global Compact Leaders Summit 2016.

The DTI-BPS, as the National Standards Body, is the official member representative of the
Philippines to the ISO. For more information on standards and standardization, please call the DTI-BPS at
751.4740 or 751.4748; email to bps@dti.gov.ph; or visit http://www.bps.dti.gov.ph/.