SRE Receives Orders for Geotextiles

SUSTAINABLE RURAL ENTERPRISE (SRE)
RECEIVES ORDERS FOR GEOTEXTILES


Ibajay, Aklan, Philippines
October 8, 2004


Sustainable Rural Enterprise (SRE), a non-government organization (NGO) based in Aklan, recently received orders for more than 325,000 square meters of coconut fiber nets, or geotextiles, that will be used to control soil erosion on highway reconstruction projects in various parts of the country. The coconut fiber is a byproduct of waste coconut husks that are processed by a machine called a decorticator.

“These orders translate to at least 15 months of work for our women and their families,” said Perla Manapol, SRE president, adding that the nets themselves “represent an indigenous, environment-friendly solution to land degradation.”

In fact, SRE has successfully carried out a technology demonstration at a highway project a few miles from its coconut coir processing plant in Ibajay, Aklan: A badly eroded hillside was covered by geotextiles which were embedded with grass seeds. In only a few months, the grass sprouted; the biodegradable nets will become part of the soil in three to five years. “You should see the reaction our demo site receives from passersby,” Manapol said. “No one can believe that what was once a bare hillside is now covered with lush, green grass – using material that comes from waste coconut husks!”

Geotextiles are also used for mangrove restoration, reforestation, riverbank stabilization, and filtration of mine tailings, among others. In 2002, President Arroyo issued Presidential Memorandum 25 mandating the use of coconut fiber and peat in all government infrastructure projects. China is undertaking a massive infrastructure upgrade and has signed contracts with Philippine suppliers for several million dollars’ worth of these materials, in preparation for hosting the 2008 Olympics.

SRE, whose motto is Always Use Your Coconut!, is confident that sales will increase with growing awareness of the benefits of geotextiles, both to the environment and to the small coconut farmers and their families.