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Custom design of engineered bamboo furniture for a client’s restaurant
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Kawayan Collective was founded in 2019 by Negrense Architect Ray Villanueva and his wife, Amy, in Dauin, Negros Oriental. With a mission to promote bamboo as a sustainable, durable, and aesthetically pleasing building material, the company envisions better homes for Filipinos. Their products range from treated poles to prefabricated houses and engineered bamboo. Hailing from Dumaguete City, Ray's journey with bamboo began at Estudio Damgo of Foundation University, and was further strengthened by his travels to Bali, Indonesia, and various locations throughout the Philippines. With the help of the Base Bahay Foundation, he was able to establish this treatment facility back in his hometown.
The Buglas Bamboo Institute (BBI), which supported bamboo propagation and craftsmanship in the region from 1995 to 2010, served as the foundation for Kawayan Collective's journey. By encouraging local farmers to manage bamboo clusters and introduce new species, BBI made it possible to harvest over 10,000 culms annually in a sustainable manner. Today, Kawayan Collective continues this legacy, with 25% of its team having gained initial bamboo experience from BBI. They have supplied over 50,000 treated poles to various projects across the Philippines, including low-cost homes built by Base Bahay, Habitat for Humanity, and local government units. The intricate process of sizing, cutting, cleaning, submerging, drying, and treating bamboo ensures it becomes a golden-brown, termite-resistant material ready for fabrication and construction.
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(Left) BBI, the foundation of Kawayan Collective; (Right) Custom door made of bamboo skeleton panels |
Ray and Amy believe in the power of collaboration. Ray's first love as an architect was for community design and build. He enjoys projects that involve various participants in defining the building's use and form, working towards consensus, and watching the building evolve with the community. Ray’s role as Lead Architect at Kawayan Collective includes focusing on quality control, product design, customer service, and marketing. Amy, as the general manager and a social entrepreneur, excels in hiring and retaining a strong team, building capacity, and leading strategically, especially in assessing the long-term impact of their cooperative on the community, environment, and financial sustainability.
Amidst the busy business side, the couple admits that the most rewarding aspect of their journey has been the opportunity to help others, particularly their employees. Starting as a team of seven, the company has grown to 40 members over the years. For 70% of their team, this is their first job with a weekly salary and benefits, which they are using to invest in their homes, farms, and families. Fully vested members enjoy annual profit-share distributions and participate in year-round capacity and community-building activities. The cooperative has greatly benefited their employees, some of whom have already received their home starter packs. Additionally, they provide livelihood opportunities for their farmer partners by meeting with them a couple times a year to offer tools and training. This tangible impact was recognized when they received the Outstanding Small Business Award from President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., in July 2024.
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(Left) Kawayan Collective warehouse; (Right) Bamboo house designs using a variety of bamboo products and components |
Still, the couple believes that one facility in Dauin is not enough if they are truly committed to their vision of better homes for all Filipinos. They aim to establish more treatment facilities across the archipelago, partnering with artisans and entrepreneurs who share their vision. Their ultimate goal is for every town in the Philippines with at least 3,000 clumps of bamboo within a 20-kilometer radius to have one, similar to a corn or rice mill. Together, they hope to grow stronger and, within the next 10 years, make treated bamboo the standard building component of durable, comfortable homes for all Filipinos.
Ray and Amy have two kids of their own, but they fondly consider Kawayan Collective as their third. Instead of ordinary office jobs that could have kept them away from their family, they envisioned occupations that they could identify with and engage in. Amy wanted to start a family business that they could work on together, and Ray agreed as long as it used Philippine bamboo. Since Ray's family was from Dumaguete, they decided to establish their business in Dauin, just two towns south. Likewise, the abundance of bamboo resources in the area made it the ideal place for their business.
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Locally-sourced bamboo poles going through the treatment process |
"Our deepest thanks to Negros for welcoming our family as one of your own—and for long recognizing the value of beautiful bamboo as a border crop, a river-side and mountain-side steward, a sustainable source of livelihood and a comfortable home," says the couple.
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(Left) Staged bedroom using engineered bamboo products found inside the model house; (Center) Kawayan Collective’s contact details; (Right) Bamboo nursery found on site |
Kawayan Collective stands as a symbol of hope and innovation in the field of sustainable construction, proving that with dedication, community involvement, and a love for local materials, a better future is indeed possible for all Filipinos.
Article by: Leezo Dionzon
Photos by: Paolo Correa