Our Story
NovaTerra Materials began with a simple observation: some of the world’s most valuable industrial materials are already growing in places where they have been overlooked, underdeveloped, or disconnected from global markets.
Our story began in the Philippines, where we spent years building trusted relationships with local producers, communities, and tribal partners. Over eight years, those relationships have grown into a verified supply network supported by Joint Venture agreements, responsible sourcing practices, and an understanding of the materials at their origin.
From there, we built the bridge to Canada and North America.
Today, NovaTerra connects the Philippines’ rich biological resources with global industrial demand, transforming renewable resources such as bamboo, abaca, and coconut into high-performance bio-feedstocks for manufacturing, construction, filtration, and other demanding applications.
We believe the future of materials is not simply about finding alternatives. It is about building better supply chains—ones that are reliable for industry, create meaningful value at the source, and make the journey from origin to application visible and accountable.
That is the NovaTerra model:
Deep roots at origin. Industrial expertise in the market. Transparency throughout the journey.
And at the heart of it is our belief in Regalo—the gift of natural utility. When natural resources are developed responsibly and connected to the right markets, they can create lasting value for industry, communities, and the places where they begin.
Tirso Garcia | CEO & Co-Founder (Canada)
Strategic Hub: Toronto Tirso bridges the gap between tropical abundance of the Philippines and global trade. By leveraging Canada’s robust eco-startup ecosystem and bilateral trade frameworks, he ensures NovaTerra remains a low-friction, high-efficiency partner for international manufacturers.
The Founders
Mark Michael Laurel Casiano | President & Co-Founder (Philippines)
Operational Hub: Mindanao & Batangas The anchor of our supply chain. Mark Michael has spent eight years navigating the Philippines' industrial sectors and forging exclusive joint venture agreements with tribal community leaders. His expertise ensures that NovaTerra’s materials are ethically sourced and industrially stabilized at the origin.
Darlene Plamenco | VP Business Development & Co-Founder (USA)
Innovation Hub: San Francisco Darlene leads our expansion into the North American market. Based in San Francisco, she connects our high-performance bio-materials with the world’s leading innovators in green-tech and sustainable manufacturing.
Our Origin & Ethos
A Legacy of Relationship-Building
NovaTerra is the culmination of an eight-year journey. Our foundation is built on "Panaghiusa"—the Visayan word for Unity. This unity exists between our founders, our nations, and most importantly, our partners on the ground. Through nearly a decade of diplomacy and shared growth, we have moved beyond traditional sourcing to a model of Joint Venture Stewardship.
Authentic Heritage
Rooted in Place. Built Through Relationships.
Our materials are rooted in a real place, real agricultural resources, real communities and long-standing relationships.
NovaTerra's story begins in Mindanao, where bamboo, abaca, coconut and other biological resources have long been part of the agricultural landscape and local economy. We believe their potential extends far beyond their traditional uses.
For more than eight years, we have built relationships with growers, processors, community partners and local stakeholders who understand these resources at their source. That experience gives us something that cannot be created overnight: knowledge of the material, connection to its origin and trust within the supply chain.
We bring that heritage forward—not as a story about the past, but as a foundation for what comes next.
By combining local knowledge and established relationships with material development, processing expertise and access to global markets, NovaTerra is helping transform naturally abundant resources into reliable materials for modern industry.
Our heritage is where we begin. Our ambition is where we take it.
Supply Chain
From Origin to Industry
A better material is only as valuable as the supply chain that brings it to market.
NovaTerra connects producers and processors at origin with industrial customers in Canada and global markets. Our role is to build the relationships, processes and infrastructure required to move materials reliably from source to application.
We work across the supply chain—from sourcing and primary processing to quality management, logistics and market development—to create greater visibility and consistency at every stage.
The result is a supply chain designed around what industry needs: reliable materials, transparent origins and dependable access.
Responsible Sourcing
Relationships Built for the Long Term
Responsible sourcing begins with knowing where materials come from—and building relationships with the people responsible for producing them.
NovaTerra works with established local partners and communities to develop sourcing relationships based on transparency, respect and long-term value creation.
Our approach emphasizes traceability, responsible resource management, fair and durable commercial relationships, and practices appropriate to the communities and environments where we operate.
We believe responsible sourcing is not a certification or a statement on a page. It is a way of building a supply chain that remains viable for the people, businesses and resources that sustain it.
Certifications & Standards
Built on Evidence
Trust in materials comes from more than a good story. It comes from standards, documentation and measurable performance.
NovaTerra works toward the certifications, specifications and quality standards required to serve demanding industrial markets. Our approach to material development and sourcing is supported by appropriate testing, documentation and traceability throughout the supply chain.
Where third-party certifications or recognized standards apply, we use them to provide independent assurance of quality, responsible practices and material integrity.
We believe claims should be supported by evidence—and materials should perform as promised.
Community Engagement
Building Value at Origin
The communities closest to our materials should have a meaningful place in the value created from them.
NovaTerra's relationships at origin are built around long-term participation rather than one-time transactions. By working with local producers, processors and community partners, we aim to create opportunities for skills development, economic participation and more resilient local supply chains.
Our goal is not simply to source materials from these communities, but to help build an ecosystem in which local knowledge, resources and enterprise become part of a larger industrial opportunity.
When the supply chain succeeds, value should flow in both directions.
Environmental Stewardship
Better Materials, Better Outcomes
Our environmental approach begins with a simple principle: use resources thoughtfully and create more value from what already grows around us.
By developing bio-based materials from renewable agricultural and biological resources, NovaTerra seeks to provide practical alternatives to conventional materials that depend on finite or carbon-intensive inputs.
Our focus extends beyond the material itself. Responsible sourcing, efficient resource utilization, traceability and thoughtful processing all contribute to a more responsible supply chain.
Where our materials can help customers reduce environmental impact, we aim to quantify and communicate those benefits with the evidence to support them.
Environmental responsibility is not separate from our business model. It is built into how we choose, develop and move materials.
Our Location
Based in Ontario, Canada, we connect Mindanao’s rich resources to North America’s industrial markets.
Address
2115 South Service Road West. Oakville, ON. Canada L6L 5W2
Contact Us
Reach out for partnerships or supply inquiries.
Reach out for sustainable material solutions
Phone
info@novaterra-materials.ca
+1-905-359-9175
© 2026. All rights reserved.
Address
2115 South Service Road West. Oakville, ON. Canada L6L 5W2