DOST expert on bamboo and rattan receives 1st ISO award

Dr. Rico Cabangon (middle), the first Filipino to receive an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Award, poses with officials from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in this photo taken Thursday, February 8, 2024, and uploaded on the DOST website.

MANILA, Philippines — An expert from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is the first Filipino to receive the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Award.

The DOST announced this on Thursday, citing the works of Dr. Rico Cabangon on bamboo and rattan.

Cabangon is the officer-in-charge of the DOST Forest Products Research and Development Institute and is considered an expert on the two forest products. He is also the chair of the Technical Committee on Bamboo and Rattan under the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Philippine Standards.

An ISO Excellence Award is given to individuals who have “significantly held in furthering the interests of standardization and related activities,” the DOST explained.

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According to the DOST, Cabangon was recognized for his work in bamboo and rattan (ISO/TC 296) and his leadership in the working group on Bamboo for Furniture (WG 5).

He was also cited for his contributions to the development of ISO 6128:2023, which lays out the requirements and test methods on laminated products made of bamboo strips for use as indoor furniture.

“The formulation of ISO 6128:2023 aims to boost the global trade of laminated bamboo and strengthen its value, effectiveness, and competitiveness in the market,” the DOST said, stressing the impact of Cabangon’s achievements.

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DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. congratulated Cabangon and emphasized the need to create more standards and testing facilities for bamboo products.

The DOST noted that bamboo products are “economically promising for export.”