Negros bamboo furniture-maker wins DOST award
CEBU CITY -- A bamboo furniture exporter from Talisay City, Negros Occidental, whose clients include some famous Hollywood celebrities, is one of the three awardees in the Department of Science and Technology Cluster SET-UP project this year.
Far East Bamboo Exports Inc. owner and marketing officer Emilio Lamata takes pride in having chosen as one of the awardees this year. The other awardees are Engr. Romeo Toledo, president of the MODS S.A. Philippines (Region 7) and Fr. Eugenio G. Maglasang, corporate secretary of Don Bosco Technology Center also in Region 7.
Lamata said his once small business reached new heights after it availed of DOST's Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP).
Among his clients are pop superstar Michael Jackson and supermodel Cindy Crawford.
They first made a native three-seater sofa for Jackson during his 1996 Manila concert.
Far East's products first caught Jackson's concert promoter when the latter looked for authentic bamboo furniture to fit the design of a nipa hut.
"The singer wanted to rest in a nipa hut set-up during concert breaks," said Lamata.
Lamata said the promoter wanted to buy the bamboo furniture being displayed in their Bacolod showroom.
"At first, I was hesitant to sell it because it was the only available product and it was only for display purposes," he said.
However, when told that the end user of the furniture is Michael Jackson, Lamata immediately sold the bamboo lounge for P65,000.
Other than the pop star, Lamata's design also caught the eye of Hollywood supermodel Cindy Crawford. The model has been placing orders to Far East since last year. The business between Lamata and Crawford is done through the latter's agent based in New York .
Lamata's products are included in the "My Home" collections of Crawford. The collections focus on organic look that are made of rattan, abaca and bamboo. It fits the materials used by Far East in their products. They are using rattan, wood, fiberglass, metal, bamboo intricately mixed with ethnic materials like sea grass, abaca (Manila hemp), among others.
He said Far East also does contract-based furnishings for hotels, restaurants, bars, resorts and the like. "We create bamboo furniture and home accessories of international class," Lamata said.
Likewise, the company is also eyeing to establish contacts with fashion designer Ralph Lauren, movie star Brad Pitt and business executive Donald Trump as they have already penetrated the international market.
With their success, Lamata stressed being in the export industry is not just like a "walk in the park." They have to work hard in order to achieve and penetrate the international market.
He said they have to wakeup early in the morning to start and perfect their business. Humble as he is, Lamata said they also suffered "financial constraints" when they get into the bamboo furniture making business.
There were times that payment for their contractors, workers and raw materials provider got delayed and there were also times when they were afraid to answer the phone for fear of hearing customers' complaints.
"Before, we faced the challenge on how to eliminate "bukbok" (borers) in our products," said Lamata.
With the interventions of the DOST, the company was able to effectively meet its growing market demand. The company has been a recipient of various local and international awards, one of the most prominent was the Century International Quality Era Award (Gold Category) which was given in Geneva, Switzerland.
At present, Far East Bamboo Exports Inc. is one of the most successful furniture enterprises in Negros Occidental. Ninety percent of its products are being exported to various countries. Initially, the company only sells to the United States and local market. With its expansion, it now serves Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Singapore, Japan, South America, France, Germany, Spain and Austria among others.