Philippine Coconet Wins Top Prize in Global Competition

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines

Agricultural Engineer Justino "Bo" Arboleda of the Philippines won the first prize in the First World Challenge contest sponsored by BBC World Television in London on November 17 for his soil erosion control net, or coconet.

Coconet, made from waste coconut husk, was adjudged the best environmental grasroots project in the world. It was among 456 entries from 90 countries.

Malta, which introduced a biodiesel product, took the second prize, while Vanuatu won third prize for its rechargeable battery.

From 12 finalists, the field was narrowed down to three. Fifty percent of a contestant's score was given by the judges, while the other 50 percent came by votes cast on the Internet. It is not known exactly how many votes the coconet garnered thru the Internet.

The winners will be featured by the BBC in a special program on December 3 and 4, 2005, and by Newsweek magazine in its December 3, 2005 issue.

Arboleda said that winning the first prize was a great honor for the Philippines. "With global recognition, it would be much easier for us to promote cocofiber products throughout the world," he said, adding that the increased demand for coconet would help reduce poverty in the country because more jobs would be created. Higher demand for coconut-based materials directly benefits thousands of poor coconut farmers.

Coconet is manufactured by Albay-based Juboken Enterprise, owned by Arboleda. Juboken also sources its coconets from various suppliers in the Philippines, providing jobs for 1,650 families in the Bicol region, 800 families alone in Albay province; 400 in Mindanao; 200 families in Aklan (through Sustainable Rural Enterprise), and 300 in Southern Leyte.

Arboleda has also developed other products out of the coconut husk: Doormats; stuffing for car seats and mattresses; bags/backpacks/hats from the short coconut fiber, and organic fertilizer from the coconut dust (which is the other byproduct of waste coconut husk).

In December last year, Arboleda was cited for "Excellence in Export" by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the Golden Shell Award ceremonies held in Metro Manila.