Son of kaingero now helps Philippine reforestation with plantable toothbrushes

The son of kaingeros whose livelihood once depended on slash-and-burn farming in Sultan Kudarat, Mark Gersava has answered the call to help in the reforestation efforts through his social enterprise and advocacy.

According to Lilian Tiburcio's report on "Stand for Truth," Gersava started Bambuhay, a business that sells sustainably made materials to address plastic pollution and deforestation in the country.

After making and selling bamboo straws in 2017, Gersava's Bambuhay is now into the manufacture and sale of plantable toothbrushes — made of bamboo and which have tree seeds that you may plant after the toothbrush has been used.

Gersava said he was inspired to start his business in September 2017 after he watched a video of a turtle whose nose was bleeding due to a plastic straw.

"During that time, mayroong calling kasi nga may gusto talaga akong gawin. Noong nakita ko ‘yung video ng pagong na kung saan dumudugo ang kanyang ilong dahil mayroon siyang plastic straw," Gersava said.

"I started with that vision mag-create ng isang produkto na kung saan nakakatulong sa kalikasan, nakakatulong sa kahirapan and the bamboo straw, dun nagsimula ang bamboo revolution," he added.

[I had a calling of what I wanted to do. When I watched the video of a turtle whose nose was bleeding because of a straw stuck in its nostrils. I started that vision to create a product that will help our environment and poverty and the bamboo straw, that started the bamboo revolution.]

Over 1.4 million bamboo straws from Bambuhay were already sold nationwide, said Gersava.

Aside from bamboo straws, Bambuhay also started selling plantable toothbrushes, which aims to replace plastic toothbrushes that take hundreds of years to decompose.

"‘Yung hugot namin dun sa plantable toothbrush, is dahil yung plastic toothbrush kasi isa sa mga plastic na di made-decompose, made-degrade siya at least for 500-1000 years bago siya ma-degrade into microplastic," Gersava said.

[We sold plantable toothbrushes because plastic toothbrushes are plastic that takes longer to decompose and degrade. It takes at least for 500 to 1,000 years before it degrades into microplastic.]

Compared to plastic toothbrushes, plantable bamboo toothbrushes will  decompose in just three to four years. 

Watch the video to know more about Gersava and his advocacy for bamboo and reforestation. —NB, GMA News