The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) launched its Forest Products Innovation and Training Center (FPITC) in partnership with the Isabela State University (ISU) Cabagan Campus to enhance the research and development activities and capacity building needed to boost the growth of forest products in the province of Isabela.
Through the DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI), the center is intended to serve the province and the Cagayan Valley.
“This center will be used for the research, development, and product innovation of wood and non-wood forest products that are present here in the region,” DOST-FPRDI Director Rico J. Cabangon said.
The FPITC provides access to modern fabrication and processing technologies, including computer numerical control (CNC) machines, laser engravers, 3D printers, and kiln dryers to improve wood and non-wood production and development.
It is positioned in Isabela to leverage the strong enrollment of forestry students at ISU—one of the country’s largest numbers of students, currently with 500 enrollees—and the province's extensive forestland and forest cover, which host economic materials such as rattan and bamboo.
Cabangon reported that rattan and bamboo are often found in the Cagayan Valley, which contributes to the overall production, leading global export of the wood material and its products, including furniture.
“We can use these facilities for the students for research, and of course, the MSMEs in the region, or in Luzon, so that they can make use of these modern products to produce different innovative products that can come from the region,” he said.
The hub traces the current forest products efforts of DOST in Region 2, such as the Bamboo Textile Fiber Innovation Hub and the Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center in ISU.
Moreover, a bamboo treatment facility is also established in 2025 in Quezon, Isabela, to help improve bamboo for construction applications, alongside the technology transfer of charcoal briquettes made from agricultural and forest residues in Cagayan.
“The future of the forest-products sector cannot simply be about raw materials. It must increasingly be about knowledge, technology, design, resource efficiency, value addition, and markets,” DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said.
In line with this, Solidum urged the ISU and DOST-FPRDI to make its center, particularly FPITC, an active and open platform for collaboration, such as with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Trade and Industry, local governments, cooperatives, and other enterprises.
Meanwhile, FPITC in Isabela is one of the three centers in the country, with the two others to be established at Visayas State University and Central Mindanao State University.
About RSTW
The Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) is an annual event organized by the DOST regional offices across 17 regions. This celebration showcases local technologies, research and development (R&D) projects, and innovative initiatives that connect communities, local industries, and stakeholders with science-based solutions. These efforts promote inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development in the region. The RSTW is one of the major scientific events leading up to the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (NSTW) celebration, which will be held in General Santos City on November 25-29, 2026. For more information, visit www.dost.gov.ph or the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (NSTW) Facebook page.
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