The DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute warmly welcomes its new Deputy Director, Dr. Rico J. Cabangon. He was appointed as Director III by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on 06 August 2021.
Dr. Cabangon was a graduate of BS Forest Products Engineering and MS Forestry (Wood Science & Technology) both at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. He obtained his Ph.D. in Resource Management and Environmental Science from The Australian National University.
Dr. Cabangon rose from the ranks after joining the Institute in 1991. For eight years, he was Chief of the Engineered Products and Development Section before being appointed as Chief the Technology Innovation Division (TID) in 2019. He also served as Officer-in-Charge, Office of the Deputy Director from November 2020 prior to his appointment as Director III.
Dr. Cabangon is one the country’s leading names in bamboo utilization research, extension and policy-making. In recent years, he focused his energies in promoting engineered bamboo processing as a means to advance the local bamboo industry.
He currently serves as the Chairman of the Bureau of Philippine Standards/Technical Committee 76, Bamboo and Rattan, and the Convenor of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO TC 296) for the Technical Working Group on Bamboo for Furniture. These groups formulate standards to ensure safety, quality and reliability of bamboo products. He is also DOST’s permanent representative to the Technical Working Group of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC).
He was awarded by the Forests and Natural Resources Research Society of the Philippines (FORESPI) the 2016 Outstanding Scientist for Utilization Research in Forestry and Natural Resources and the 2006 Young Scientist Achievement Award.
Again, our congratulations and best wishes to Deputy Director Cabangon. With your leadership, we can look ahead to more fruitful endeavors in our research and development. ###
