Coconuts Galore

SRE Clean Cookstove Featured in UN Foundation November 2011 Newsletter

2011-11-17T19:46:00.000-08:00

SRE's Mayon Turbo Stove (MTS) is featured in the "Partner Spotlight" of the November 2011 issue of the UN Foundation's Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) newsletter. The write-up is authored by SRE President Perla Manapol, highlighting the attributes of the MTS, including: uses non-wood and virtually cost-free fuel such as rice hulls, corn cobs, and nutshells; clean-burning; portable; durable (made of 16-gauge steel, lasts 3.5 to 4 years); affordable (costs about US$20); cuts cooking time by half. In addition, replicability is made easy in that there are no copyright restrictions.

To read the item, log on to: cleancookstoves.org/resources/newsletter (November 10, 2011 issue, "Partner Spotlight").

Please note: The e-mail contact listed at the end of the article should read:
pmanapol@hotmail.com Other e-mail is: firlatot@yahoo.com

The Mayon Cookstove "in Action"

2011-10-21T14:55:00.001-07:00

For those of you who want to see the Mayon Turbo Stove (MTS) in action - at a demo carried out by SRE partners BOHOL SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF - log on to YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A64MGocYpuw

Demo of MTS at Bohol School for the Deaf

2011-09-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

MTS Now in Bohol

2011-09-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Through the Elena Tan Foundation, the Mayon Turbo Stove project has been successfully replicated in Bohol. In partnership with the Bohol School for the Deaf (through its director, ex-Peace Corps Volunteer Dennis Drake), the MTS is now fabricated at the school's metal fabrication plant. The prototype model was provided by the St. Paul University Philippines SPUP's MTS fabrication facility.

SRE President Perla Manapol hails this latest development - the first replication in the Eastern Visayas region - as "yet another big step toward our goal of creating a Philippine Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (PACC)." Already, there are expressions of interest from neighboring provinces of Samar and Negros Oriental.

The attached photos show the presentation by Dennis Drake (along with one of the working students, the "master welder") of the first 15 units fabricated by the school, and a demonstration of the model unit during a visit by Ambassador Bienvenido Tan, Jr.

SPUP Stove Fabrication Shop

2011-04-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

SRE partner SPUP demonstrates to visitors how units of the Mayon Turbo Stove (MTS) are fabricated at its on-campus fabrication shop.

SRE and Partner SPUP

2011-04-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

The accompanying photos show SPUP activities related to the Clean Cookstove project.

SRE Partners with St. Paul University Philippines in Clean Cookstoves Project

2011-04-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

To jump-start its Clean Cookstove project, SRE has teamed up with St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP), http://www.spup.edu.ph/, the "mother" university of the St. Paul university system, based in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Province. Fortuitously, this region in northern Philippines has abundant but abandoned rice hulls, corn cobs, and peanut shells. SPUP President, Sister Remedios Junio, SPC, is a well-known environmentalist who is credited with transforming the SPUP 18-acre campus into a veritable "botanical garden where everything is organic and recycled." SPUP's Eco-Center, Community Development Center (CDC), and College of Nursing are actively engaged in the project: The Eco-Center in overseeing stove fabrication and quality control at SPUP's on-campus shop, CDC through its numerous "adopted communities," and the the nursing students in gathering health data related to indoor pollution.

Through a donation from a Philippine foundation, SPUP has begun fabrication of 100 units, to be distributed and sold (on an installment basis) to 100 households in one of its adopted communities. (Note: Residents in this village are subjected to severe flooding during the rainy season, making the portability of the MTS a much-needed remedy.) Proceeds will be plowed back to fabricating additional units especially as demand is already running into more than 1,000 units. Additional funding is being sought to meet this demand, especially as the price of cooking gas continues to rise. (Orders for multiple units are also made by businesses such as restaurants, bakeries, and food-processing.)

The accompanying photos show mountains of rice hulls and corn cobs being burned just outside Tuguegarao with the attendant smoke and pollution - a very common sight throughout the country.

SRE and SPUP are proud to be partners in helping to promote a cooking mechanism that is (1) clean-burning; (2) fuelled by abandoned biomass instead of wood-sourced fuel; (3) portable, and, above all, is (4) affordable. As our project motto goes, A HAPPY, HEALTHY YOU, AND MOTHER EARTH!

Photos of MTS "In Action"

2011-04-06T12:21:00.001-07:00

SRE an Implementer in Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

2011-04-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

SRE, through its clean-burning Mayon Turbo Stove (MTS) that is fuelled by rice hulls, corn cobs, nutshells, or woodchips, is now an Implementer in the recently-launched Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC). As an Implementer, SRE will be working closely with the UN Foundation in promoting the use of the MTS not only in the Philippines and in Liberia, but also in other countries.

The accompanying photos show the MTS "in action," fuelled by rice hulls, corn cobs, and peanut shells.

Mayon Turbo Stove Back to Front Burner

2010-10-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

SRE is renewing efforts to expand its clean cookstove activities with the Mayon Turbo Stove (MTS) that won SRE an award in the 2006 World Bank Development Marketplace Competition in Manila. SRE is participating in the recently-launched Clean Cookstove Alliance, an initiative that was announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative forum in late September.

In 2009, SRE introduced the Mayon Turbo Stove in Liberia as part of SRE's training program on the integrated processing of coconuts, under the USAID-funded Liberia Community Infrastructure Program (LCIP).

"We needed a portable, fast-lighting, clean-burning stove to speed up our sessions, particularly those involving cooking," explained SRE President Perla Manapol. "The MTS was the perfect solution," adding that despite the lack of rice hulls, "there were plenty of abandoned woodchips and nutshells that proved to be ideal fuels." More important, local fabricators were able to "clone" the MTS that - during a "cookstove contest" - easily out-performed the traditional, charcoal-fuelled cookstove.

SRE's plans include expanding the MTS reach not only in the Philippines and in Liberia, but also in other countries without access to clean cooking mechanisms.

The Mayon Turbo Stove was first introduced in the Philippines by the non-profit organization, REAP-Canada.

Green Charcoal-makers

2010-06-05T16:07:00.001-07:00

Cody and Perla show off charcoal briquettes made out of leaves, twigs, and rice hulls at the KASAMA Bakhawan Eco-Park charcoal-producing shop.

"Green Charcoal" from Leaves, Twigs, Rice Hulls

2010-06-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

Leaves as Feedstock

2010-06-05T16:02:00.001-07:00

SRE and "Green Charcoal"

2010-06-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

After demonstrating how to make high-efficiency charcoal out of coconut shells, SRE realized that in many rural areas where coconuts are not available, there are other, plentiful feedstock that can be made into equally high-efficiency, clean-burning charcoal: leaves, twigs, rice hulls.

To this end, SRE is currently working with an Aklan-based organization, KALIBO SAVE THE MANGROVES FOUNDATION (KASAMA), that pioneered the conversion of mangrove cuttings into high-efficiency charcoal. The feedstock source has been expanded to include leaves, twigs, and rice hulls. These are first carbonized, then mixed with cassava or corn starch as binder, molded into briquettes, and dried. In a test-run, briquettes burn three times longer than the traditional wood charcoal, and twice longer than the cocoshell charcoal. Smokeless, too. Most important, all the processing is done manually.

SRE and KASAMA collaborated in bringing to Aklan an American volunteer, Mr. Cody McMillian, a Business/Enterprise Development Graduate of Baylor University (Waco, Texas), to work primarily on the modifications of the manually-operated equipment. Cody also helps to develop the business model, particularly on marketing. He also gives presentations to schools and universities, as well as to environment-focused groups and organizations.

This "green charcoal" initiative is designed for replication in tropical countries where deforestation is rampant.

Coconut Sugar

2010-06-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

SRE Now into Coconut Sugar

2010-06-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

SRE is now collaborating with a California-based SME, Coconut World, (http://www.coconutworld.biz/) to market coconut sugar in health food stores in the U.S.

The coco sugar is sourced from production facilities under the auspices of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in the Visayas (Aklan) and Mindanao (Cotabato). These facilities provide livelihood for several coconut farmers and their families. Majority of the workers are women.

Coconut sugar has a glycemic index (GI) of 35, and sucrose content of 80 - making it an excellent, healthy alternative to cane sugar. (And it tastes great!)

In addition, coco sugar comes from the sap of the flower of organically-grown coconut trees that is then processed with no preservatives and chemicals.

Liberia's First-ever Charcoal from Coconut Shells

2009-07-25T16:23:00.001-07:00

SRE Helps Liberians To Produce First-ever Charcoal from Coconut Shells

2009-07-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Graduation Day: Coconut Value-Adding Training Program

2009-06-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

SRE Team Completes Liberia Train-the-Trainers Program

2009-06-27T01:14:00.000-07:00

SRE Team (Dr. Ed Agustin of Aklan State University; Ferlina "Jojo" Galvan of the Philippine Coconut Authority-Aklan, Evangeline Salido of Grandma Enterprise, and SRE President Perla Manapol) completed a 10-day "training the trainers" (TOT) program on coconut value-adding, capped by "graduation" ceremonies on June 24 at the main training site in Ben Town, Marshall Township.

During the closing ceremonies attended by funding sponsors USAID and DAI's Liberia Community Infrastructure Program, together with Liberian NGO partner Center for Sustainable Energy Technology (CSET) and village officials, the "graduates" showed off their skills in de-husking coconuts to produce clean shells and usable husks; splitting the nuts to save the water (for vinegar); grating the coconut meat; extracting "milk" from the meat; cooking the "milk" to produce high-quality (and aromatic) cooking oil; producing virgin coconut oil from fresh coconut "milk;" producing high-efficiency charcoal in 24 hours from the shells; weaving doormats from coconut fiber twines (from the husks), and crafting jewelry items from the shells. Special features included cooking several dishes using the coconut "milk" and making "coco burgers" out of the residue of the grated meat.

The Team then heads to Sinoe and Grand Bassa Counties to monitor the newly-trained trainers in transferring their skills to hundreds of coconut farmers and their families.

SRE Team in Liberia for Training in Coconut Value-adding

2009-06-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

"Da Kokonut Lady" Featured in Harvard GSE Magazine

2009-02-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

Ed, the magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (Winter 2009 Edition), runs a feature on SRE President Perla Manapol's coconut-related activities in the Philippines and in Liberia. (www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed Go to "In the Media," then "One on One," and click on her name)

"Da Kokonut Lady," who earned her Master's Degree in Education at the HGSE, reports that she is "completely overwhelmed" by the responses and comments - online, by e-mail, and phone - prompting one of her colleagues in community development to remark, "Gee, if I had known you'd get this type of exposure thru the Ed Magazine, I would've chosen to go to Harvard, too!"

"Of course I enjoy, and savor, the responses," Perla says, adding, "But the most important thing is that there is now more awareness of what we're trying to do with the tree of life and how adding value to its so-called 'waste byproducts' can actually help improve the lives of poor coconut farmers."

Noting that this type of publicity - free, at that - doesn't come by easily, Perla thanks Ed editor Ms. Lory Hough and the webmaster for "providing a much-needed push for our 'endeavor of the heart.'"

Obama-mania in West Africa

2008-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

SRE President Speaks at Conference on Global Poverty

2008-10-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

SRE President Perla Manapol was one of the speakers at a conference on Bottom-up Approaches to Global Poverty held at Baylor University, Waco, Texas October 23-25. The conference was sponsored by the University's Institute for Faith and Learning (IFL) as part of Baylor's Symposium on Faith and Culture Series.

The conference brought together an impressive, diverse line-up of participants - engineers, pastors, economists, entrepreneurs, missionaries, theologians - who discussed and explored the various ways that the church, appropriate technology, and social entrepreneurship can work toward the same goal of helping those with the greatest need.

Perla's presentation, "Appropriate Technology for the Poor: From the Philippines to Liberia," focused on the "truly bottom-up" processes to add value to coconuts that provide livelihood opportunities for poor coconut farmers. As she explained, "I realized, after having made an assessment of the coconut 'industry' in Liberia, that even what we consider low-tech value-adding in the Philippines is still beyond the capabilities of Liberian farmers," owing to the latter's lack of access to electricity and farm-to-market roads.

As examples, she showed how Filipino farmers make their own cooking oil at home and how this simple process also produces high-value byproducts including high-nutrient animal and poultry feed (very useful to Liberia, where eggs are imported from other countries), charcoal from coconut shells, vinegar from the coconut water, even sugar from the sap. The cooking oil can also be used for treating burns and as hair and skin conditioner - not to forget, an oil lamp that emits a pleasant aroma. (The waste husks are also sources of high-value byproducts such as coconut fiber and peat, but the process requires electricity.)

Early next year, Perla will lead a 4-person team from SRE to carry out a training program to show Liberian coconut farmers how to earn a living through small-scale, community-based, value-adding. The USAID-funded project is designed for replication in other coconut-growing countries in Africa.

TYPHOON "FRANK" BATTERS KALIBO - AND SRE

2008-08-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

The province of Aklan was one of the worst-hit by last June's Typhoon "Frank," with the capital muncipality of Kalibo bearing the brunt of its fury. It was the first such natural disaster to hit Kalibo in more than 25 years, with ferocious winds and raging waters mixed with mud obliterating everything in its path. Kalibo is just now restoring power and communication lines.

Among the thousands of casualties were homes and businesses of SRE staff and their families. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured despite near-drownings and getting buried under debris. Thousands of others who have been left homeless (and jobless) have spent hours lining up for food at various government distribution centers.

SRE's plant operations in Ibajay were basically spared, with the blown-away roof of the work shed being the only damage. SRE's main office and laboratory that houses the multi-crop dryer, on the main campus of Aklan State University, were spared by Mother Nature; unfortunately, both facilities were looted, with everything metal including motors, wirings, the wire-mesh fence - even the iron window grills - removed. In addition, the SRE truck was partially submerged in mud and water and is now undergoing repairs.

SRE president Perla Manapol is busy trying to raise funds and donations in the U.S., through the Ayala Foundation-USA's 501(c) facility. Checks are made payable to "Ayala Foundation USA" (with notation: For Sustainable Rural Enterprise) and sent to:

Ayala Foundation USA
255 Shoreline Drive, Suite 428
Redwood City, CA 94065
USA Tel. No. 1-650-598-3126
Fax No. 1-650-508-8988
Website: af-usa.org

"Every little bit will help," Perla says, adding, "We're just thankful that none of the SRE staff and their families were injured. All of them are still busy digging their way out of the rubble - amazingly, in characteristic good spirits!"

"The Aklan Model" To Be Replicated in Liberia

2008-04-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

SRE President Perla Manapol recently spent three weeks in Liberia to make an assessment of the country's coconut resource, through a USAID-funded project. The findings: Lots of coconuts. More than enough to replicate SRE's community-based, integrated coconut processing enteprise in Aklan province.

"Liberia has more than 200 miles of coastline planted to coconuts, plus many more inland plantations," Perla reports. "But there is little if any value-adding that has the potential for income-generation for many of the country's rural poor." The good news is that there is keen interest from the private sector in developing Liberia's coconut industry.

The initial phase will focus on the production of crude coconut oil, a process that creates added income from byproducts including: coconut shells that can be made into high-grade charcoal within 24 hours, as well as jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, and bracelets; the shells are also used to provide energy for some components of the oil-making operations; high-nutrient animal and poultry feed from copra meal (the residue of the dried coconut meat after oil has been extracted); vinegar from the coconut water; fiber and peat from the waste coconut husks.

SRE will provide technical assistance and skills training as well as over-all project management.

SRE PRESIDENT SPEAKS AT LIBERIA WORKSHOP

2007-11-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

SRE President Perla Manapol was one of the speakers at the "Renewable Energy for Rural Development in Liberia" workshop held in Monrovia October 29-30, 2007. The workshop was sponsored by USAID, the Liberian Ministry of Land, Mines, and Energy and International Resources Group.

Perla's topic was on the coconut as a source of energy and livelihood, based on SRE's Aklan project. Liberia has more than 200,000 acres planted to coconuts but with very minimal value-adding.

Perla reports: "I could tell that there is a strong need for Liberia to develop its coconut industry, judging from the numerous requests for meetings and discussions following my presentation." Indeed, a Liberian private corporation has already initiated the creation of a new company that will put up the country's first-ever coconut mini-oilmill, patterned after the "Aklan Model." The National Charcoal Union of Liberia (NACUL) has also expressed interest in the production of charcoal from coconut shells as a means to ease the denudation of Liberia's forests.

SRE has formed a partnership with some Liberian NGOs to submit a proposal to international development organizations to help fund a comprehensive assessment of the local coconut industry and to organize small coconut farmers into a cooperative.

One other, noteworthy result of the workshop? Perla reports that she is now known in Liberia as "The Coconut Lady" !

SRE RESUMES WORK ON BIOMASS MULTI-CROP DRYER

2007-11-29T15:24:00.000-08:00

SRE's biomass multi-crop dryer will see more action before the end of the year. The dryer, fuelled by waste rice hulls (as well as by other biomass fuels including corn cobs, wood chips, and nutshells), will be used to dry fruits including papayas, pineapples, and mangoes.

The new initiative is a collaboration between SRE, Aklan State University, and the Quimpo Family of Aklan and is designed to meet the need for processing Aklan's abundant supply of fruits, most of which end up as waste due to lack of post-harvest facilities. Indeed, even the excess mangoes of nearby province Guimaras still have to be shipped to Cebu Province where they are then dried and shipped back to Guimaras.

Lyn Fernandez-Wilson of the Quimpo clan is also targetting the huge tourist market in nearby Boracay where, as she puts it, "virtually all of the dried mangoes on sale bear the 'Made in Cebu' label," adding, "We have the fruits, and now we have the technology. It's time to have packaged dried fruit under a 'Made in Aklan' label!"

DONATIONS FROM ESCONDIDO (CA) SUNRISE ROTARY CLUB PAY FOR TWINE-MAKING UNITS

2007-06-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Donations to SRE from the Escondido (CA) Sunrise Rotary Club and Rotarian Kathy Barton - facilitated through Ayala Foundation-USA - have helped to pay for several twine- or rope-making units that are then distributed to villages and certain families. Other units are used for training purposes.

"The donations couldn't have come at a better time," explains Perla Manapol, SRE President and herself a Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Metro Kalibo (Aklan). Several typhoons late last year and early this year devastated thousands of homes, including those of SRE workers. Many more lost their jobs, thus creating an urgent need for alternative livelihood.

"One twine-making unit can provide jobs for five, even seven, persons, and the twines themselves are woven into nets by another set of workers," Perla explains. In addition, the typhoons opened up opportunities in an expanded domestic market because the rehabilitation of roads and highways that were destroyed requires the use of cocofiber nets.

"SRE and hundreds of beneficiary families are grateful for these timely donations," says Perla, who spends time in the U.S. making presentations about SRE's coconut-based project to various organizations. "No donation is ever too small. Just imagine, one twining unit that costs under $30 can benefit at least five persons," Perla adds. "I can't think of a more cost-effective livelihood-generating mechanism!"

SRE WELCOMES INTERNS FROM BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

2007-06-12T00:38:00.000-07:00

SRE recently welcomed two engineering students from Baylor University (Waco, Texas) as a first step toward a potential collaboration in adding value to waste coconut dust and coconut shells.

Ms. Anna Morton, a senior specializing in appropriate technology, and Ms. Elisa Guzman, a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Colorado State University who will take up graduate studies at Baylor, are members of the University's "Engineers with a Mission." They spent three weeks studying SRE's coconut coir processing activities in Ibajay, Aklan. Their observations and recommendations will serve as a basis for a potential collaboration between SRE and Baylor University in perfecting technology that will produce high-quality construction materials including fiber board and fiberglass. The University has been experimenting with a method of producing fiber board without the use of a binder, as well as producing fiber glass from finely-ground coconut shells, under the direction of Distinguished Professor Dr. Walter Bradley. Initial tests of these new products at Baylor University's laboratories have shown promising results.

"We are delighted with the prospect of expanding our product line that is currently focused on geotextiles," notes SRE president Perla Manapol, especially as there is a "growing interest in so-called 'green' construction materials in countries such as the United States."

In the past few years SRE has hosted other interns and volunteers from Canada and the U.S.

SRE 2006 Year-end Report

2006-12-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As of December 31, 2006

1. Mayon Turbo Stove Wins World Bank Award

SRE’s Mayon Turbo Stove (MTS) was a winner in the 2006 World Bank Panibagong Paraan Competition held in Metro Manila in late May, under the Clean Energy Category. The MTS – a joint project of SRE, Aklan State University, and REAP-Canada - is fuelled by rice hulls and produces clean-burning “blue flame.” In fact, the MTS has been called “the poor man’s gas stove” because it is also very affordable. Each unit costs PHP750, FOB Aklan, and PHP1,000 if sold at our outlet in Quezon City (Sagana 100 shop). The burned rice hulls make excellent soil enhancer/fertilizer, insect repellent, and household cleanser.

The prize money (from USAID) of PHP1 million will be used primarily to fabricate 500 units of the stove which will then be sold to low-income families; project duration is 12 months ending May 2007. However, because of widespread publicity, SRE has been receiving, from all over the Philippines, many inquiries and offers to purchase the stove, which has forced us to modify our original plan to sell only to low-income families. Indeed, a number of buyers are teachers and other government employees who are feeling the pinch of higher costs of LPG, firewood, and charcoal.

Dr. Ed Agustin is in charge of the MTS project. He has been busy attending trade shows and exhibits, giving demonstrations and lectures on the beneficial effects of the MTS on both the environment and the pocketbook. Many LGUs are also sponsoring demonstrations and have made arrangements with SRE on the promotion, marketing, and selling of the MTS. As of November 27, 300 units of the MTS have already been sold. Proceeds of the sales will be plowed back into producing more units and expanding market reach to include other provinces.

2. Another truck donation from Ambassador Tan

Keeping true to his promise made three years ago when he visited SRE, Ambassador Benny Tan has donated a six-wheeler second-hand truck through the Salome L. Tan Foundation. The truck is used primarily for delivering cocofiber/collecting twines and nets from various locations and delivering sacksful of coconut dust to customers. It is also used for the Mayon Turbo Stove project, particularly in picking up units from the fabrication shop and delivering them to central sales points. The truck will also be used in making un-scheduled deliveries of cocofiber nets to Luzon via Ro-Ro.

We encourage everyone to look around for potential customers for the truck, especially in making deliveries to/from Iloilo, Capiz, and Antique. The truck is stationed at a garage adjacent to the home of Dr. Agustin on the ASU Campus.

3. Various Donations from Friends in the U.S.

SRE has received donations of a brand-new desktop computer and laptop; second-hand desktop PCs; second-hand digital camera; second-hand printer, and other office gadgets. Donors are friends and relatives of Manang Perla in the U.S. We have, in turn, donated some of the office equipment to the Ibajay Small Coconut Farmers Development Cooperative and the Alaminos Extension High School.

4. SRE Replication in ARMM-Sulu a Success

Early last year, SRE carried out a replication of “The Aklan Model” in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), in Indanan, Sulu, in collaboration with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP)’s “Business and Peace” initiative; the German Development Service (DED); the Office of the Governor of Sulu, and BJ Oilmill. SRE services included skills training; equipment design, fabrication, testing, and training in machinery operations; product development and quality control; enterprise development and marketing strategies.

The project is the first of its kind in the ARMM and is designed to be replicated in Basilan and Tawi-Tawi. As many as 400 families of poor coconut farmers and former MILF insurgents are expected to participate in the Sulu project. Last September, the Sulu operations received an order for 100,000 square meters of nets for a highway project in Luzon, and is expected to provide continuous employment for up to eight months.

5. SRE Actively Campaigns for Increased Domestic Uses of Coconets & Cocopeat

As part of its continuing campaign to promote increased domestic use of coconets and cocopeat, SRE joined the PBSP and the DED in presenting a symposium, held in Metro Manila on October 25, on coconets and cocopeat and their beneficial effects on the environment, rural economies, and the coconut industry. Target audience consisted of foreign development groups, mining companies, agribusinesses, Congressional staff, media groups, and others whose development projects throughout the country, particularly in Mindanao, are potential end-users of coco coir products.

Speakers/presenters were CocoTech’s Dr. Bo Arboleda (“the inventor of cocofiber nets and cocopeat”) and Manang Perla. Bo spoke on coconets and cocopeat, and Manang Perla talked about the Aklan and Sulu operations. An Open Forum followed the presentations.

6. Expanding the Current Work Force

SRE and the Sulu operations are the primary suppliers (for CocoTech) of the coconets that are now being installed in the Clark-Subic highway development project. Reports have it that the section using SRE/Sulu nets is thriving, while that of another supplier group has collapsed after heavy rainfall. The project has resulted in an expanded work force for SRE, with nearly 500 families now engaged in making twines and weaving nets.

To meet the increased order, SRE has been collaborating with various barangays in training more workers, including a community project in Ivisan, Capiz. With the new truck from Ambassador Tan, SRE is confident of meeting the increased demand for its quality products.

We encourage everyone to help us identify local projects that can use the coconut fiber nets and the coconut dust (used for mulch, soil enhancer/fertilizer). For example, infrastructure projects such as riverbank, highway and road reconstruction, mangrove reforestation, watershed restoration, and reinforcing hillsides and embankments, among many others, are ideal situations that can benefit from the use of these products. We also produce and sell doormats. Soon, through our partnership with Sagana 100, a leading producer of organic fertilizer, we will also be selling coconut dust-based organic fertilizer and soil enhancer.

SRE staff can make presentations on “everything you need to know about coconets and cocopeat and how they benefit the environment, rural economy, and the coconut industry” upon request.

LATEST UPDATE:

Three typhoons have devastated the coconut industry in the Bicol Region, where our partner CocoTech’s main operations are located. CocoTech’s main factory and other buildings were destroyed, but, fortunately, the machinery was left intact. Most of the 6,000 families who benefit from CocoTech’s coir processing activities were left homeless and are currently housed in makeshift dwellings. The good news is that twining and weaving have resumed, albeit under tents and other available sites – which means that the workers will continue to earn money during rehabilitation.

CocoTech has made arrangements to have its suppliers – including SRE – ramp up production to make up for any shortfall. Thus, SRE’s expansion of its workforce couldn’t have come at a better time.

SRE Launches Campaign To Help Typhoon-Battered Coco Coir Enterprise in Bicol

2006-12-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

Typhoons Reming (Durian) and Seniang (Otor) have destroyed the main factory and other buildings of SRE partners CocoTechnologies and Juboken in Guinobatan, Albay. Worse, the typhoons also destroyed thousands of homes including those of workers who do the twining and weaving of coconut fiber. "Our workers have lost not only their homes but also their means of livelihood," laments Julie Arboleda, CocoTechnologies' VP of Operations, adding, "It will be a very, very sad Christmas for all of us." CocoTech specializes in bio-engineerig construction and consultancy; erosion control systems; coco peat growing media, and agricultural, agro-forestry, and horticultural products.

CocoTechnologies' coconut fiber nets, or coconets - used for soil erosion control - earned worldwide acclaim after winning first prize at the World Challenge Competition in November 2005. The competition is sponsored by the BBC, Newsweek, and Shell. The Albay operations employ more than 4,000 families, with satellite operations in other parts of the Philippines providing livelihood to an additional 3,000 families.

SRE is sending e-mail messages to a number of contact persons and organizations, particularly those based in the U.S., requesting donations to help in the rehabilitation of the homes. To avail of tax-deductibility, donations may be sent to Sustainable Rural Enterprise by check made to the AYALA FOUNDATION-USA:

Ayala Foundation-USA
255 Shoreline Dr., Ste. 128
Redwood City, CA 94065
Tel.: 1-650-508-2000, ext. 127
Fax: 1-650-508-8988

CocoTechnologies' head office in Metro Manila may be reached by telephones 63-2-426-5536 and 63-2-927-5953.

"We can't let this disaster destroy our will to survive," Ms. Arboleda vows. "We will, and we can start all over again!"

Whatever donations and contributions are received will certainly help CocoTech and its workers along the path to recovery.

SRE's "Mayon Turbo Stove" a Winner in World Bank Competition

2006-06-08T08:26:00.003-07:00

The Mayon Turbo Stove ("The Poor Man's Gas Stove") - a collaborative project between Sustainable Rural Enterprise (SRE) and REAP Canada - was one of the winners under the Clean Energy Category in the World Bank 2006 Panibagong Paraan Competition held in Metro Manila last May 26-27. The theme of the competition was "Development with Equity." The award is worth PHP1 million to promote the use of a clean-burning stove that uses rice hulls and other agricultural waste for fuel, the residue (carbonized rice hull) of which is also used as a soil conditioner. It is also affordable, portable, and can be fabricated locally.

Out of almost 1,000 entries, 87 finalists were chosen. The finalists displayed their projects in exhibit booths which attracted a huge crowd and elicited comments of awe and appreciation from the exhibit-goers. Fifty-seven entries were picked as winners by a panel of judges.

"Three out of three isn't a bad batting average!" exclaims Ms. Perla Manapol, president of SRE, referring to two other World Bank Development Marketplace awards that the NGO has previously won. The latest award is particularly significant in that the price of cooking fuel has almost doubled in the past 15 months, forcing households in rural communities to forage for fuel in forests and mangroves. "Imagine the destructive effect of firewood-gathering on forests and mangroves in landslide- and tsunami-prone Philippines," Perla adds. "Imagine the increased burden of firewood-gathering on women, and the increase in respiratory ailments from smoke inhalation."

SRE will use the award money to fabricate 500 units of the stove, which will then be sold, at a 50% discount, to the 500 neediest families in 10 barangays. A portion of the award money will be used to launch an education-information-communication campaign - including monitoring usage, advantages and disadvantages - that will be carried out by graduate students of SRE partner Aklan State University's Agricultural Extension Division. The proceeds will be plowed back into fabricating additional units and in replicating the project in other rural communities. To accommodate areas where rice is not available, SRE has successfully run tests on other fuels including corn cobs and coconut shells.

Noting that the theme of the 2006 competition was Development with Equity, Perla points out that for most NGOs who carry out their work "in poverty and obscurity," the World Bank initiative is often the only way to "show off" their innovations. "We do not have a PR budget to let the rest of the world know what we are doing out there. You might call this award publicity and promotion with equity!" Indeed, within days after the competition, SRE was deluged with calls and inquiries - even down payments! - on how to acquire a unit.

One hullava stove? "You betcha!" Manapol beams.

COCODIESEL: Putting a Coconut in Your Tank!

2006-01-26T18:01:00.000-08:00

Lately there's been a lot of publicity about alternative fuels, specifically, biofuels (from vegetable oil). The focus has been on ethanol (from sugarcane and corn oil), rapeseed biofuel, and fuel from waste cooking oil.

In coconut-producing countries such as the Philippines, the big star in the biofuel stage is coconut biodiesel, also known as coconut methyl ester, or CME, derived from coconut oil. CME, which is used as a diesel additive or blend, is produced using transesterification, a process that involves the reaction of coconut oil with methanol under high temperature and using catalysts to produce ester and glycerol.

Transesterification results in products which can match properties of commercial diesel fuel, which means that CME can be used as a blend with diesel without any engine modification (unlike ethanol and other biofuels). Currently in the Philippines, one percent (1%) CME is being used.

CME has three properties of coconut oil which can improve the performance of the engine: lubricity, solvency and detergency. Studies show that the use of CME results in better combustion, less emission, more engine power, cleaner engine, and lower maintenance cost. (It must also be noted that in the Philippines, as is true in other developing countries, transport vehicles run on old and refurbished engines; commercial diesel used also has higher sulfur content - thus, the dramatic results of tests, particularly in reduction of emission and NOX content, as well as in better power and acceleration.)

There are two Philippine companies - Chemrez, Inc. and Senbel Corp. - that manufacture CME. Export markets include Japan and Germany. Philippine government vehicles are required through a Presidential Mandate to use a 1% blend. Legislation is currently being considered mandating the use of CME in all transport vehicles country-wide.

Meanwhile, tests of CME blend in stationary gensets show the same dramatic results - an encouraging development especially as the Clean Air Act was passed by the Philippine Congress nearly two years ago.

So, if you want to put a coconut in your tank, think COCODIESEL!

SRE Now into Cocodiesel and Clean-burning Stove

2006-01-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

In keeping with its mandate to explore more productive uses of renewable energy - particularly, biomass - SRE has expanded its core activities to include (1) the production and testing of coconut methyl ester (CME), or cocodiesel, in stationary engines, and (2) the commercial production of the Mayon Turbo Stove, a household cooking stove that uses rice hulls for fuel.

The CME will be used in a one percent (1%) blend with regular diesel in operating the 75 HP diesel-fuel decorticator at SRE's Ibajay Coco Coir Processing plant. Aklan State University's Chemical Laboratory is collaborating with SRE in the production of CME. The stock coconut oil used is sourced from the mini oilmill owned and operated by the Ibajay Small Coconut Farmers Development Cooperative (ISCFDC), SRE's partners in the coco coir processing enterprise.

In collaboration with another partner, Resource Efficient Agriculture Production (REAP Canada), SRE helped to design and fabricate the Mayon Turbo Stove (The Poor Man's Gas Stove) which is fuelled by raw rice hulls. It is cheap, efficient, clean-burning, and can be fabricated locally.

With the new ventures, SRE's "stable" now features: (1) coco coir processing; (2) multi-purpose dryer fuelled by rice hulls and other agricultural waste; (3) virgin coconut oil; (4) cocodiesel, and (5) Mayon Turbo Stove. SRE was also the first foreign entity to run field tests of the first two prototypes of the BioMax, a biomass gasifier fuelled by raw coconut shells that generated 15HP of electricity. The BioMax is manufactured by Colorado-based Community Power Corporation (www.gocpc.com), one of SRE's partners.

Still in the pipeline is converting COCONUT DUST into organic fertilizer and mulch for high-value crops, a joint endeavor of SRE and Sagana 100, a leading manufacturer of organic fertilizer in the Philippines. With countries such as Germany now banning the use of peat moss and mandating, instead, the use of coconut dust peat (cocopeat), the worldwide market for yet another byproduct of the tree of life is expected to grow.

Introducing the Mayon Turbo Stove

2006-01-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

The Mayon Turbo Stove

“The Poor Man’s Gas Stove”

The Mayon Turbo Stove (MTS) is a breakthrough in clean combustion technologies that provides rural families with low-cost, convenient, pollution-free cooking from the use of rice hulls as fuel.

Designed and developed by Resource Efficient Agriculture Production (REAP) Canada, a partner of SRE, the MTS reduces (a) the use of firewood, charcoal, and LPG; (b) expenditures on cooking, especially with escalating costs of traditional fuels; (c) greenhouse gas emissions and household air pollution; (d) deforestation, and (e) the burden of firewood-gathering on women.

Features of MTS include: (a) high efficiency and clean combustion; (b) economical; (c) fast boiling point; (d) convenience in fabrication and use; (e) low fuel consumption; (f) portable and lightweight; (g) safety, and (h) holistic use of fuel source, i.e., carbonized rice hulls are used as soil enhancer, household cleanser, insect repellent, etc.

In early 2005, SRE conducted a survey of cooking practices in rural households. Results of the survey showed an urgent need for a cleaner, safer, and cheaper cooking method. SRE is currently in the process of initiating commercial production of the MTS, an undertaking that is consistent with its commitment to productive uses of renewable energy.

Amid rising costs of firewood, charcoal and LPG, along with increasing incidences of respiratory ailments among rural families, the MTS couldn’t have come at a better time. Indeed, as we in SRE love to say, “The Mayon Turbo Stove is one hulluva stove!”

Philippine Coconet Wins Top Prize in Global Competition

2005-12-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

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.

The Passion (of a Community Development Worker)

2005-10-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

THE PASSION (of a Community Development Worker)
By: Perla Limbaga Manapol

A few years ago I left Southern California to return to the Philippines with the intention of “living the life of Riley” - a US dollar-earning retiree lying in a hammock by the sea, with nary a care in the world.

But here I am today, working with a non-government organization (NGO) that is immersed in a world defined by such buzzwords as poverty alleviation; renewable energy and global warming; capability-building and sustainability; gender equity and women empowerment. Instead of whiling away the time contemplating nothing more serious than the next fresh-fish recipe, I now have to worry about submitting deliverables on time, attending seminars and workshops and conferences, and raising funds - while writing yet another proposal. My official title is president, but I am also known - only half in jest - as the CBO, or Chief Begging Officer. The perks, however, are unbeatable: no high heels and stockings and suits, and no mobile phones disrupting village meetings.

Rural development work is unlike any other in that it requires a special kind of passion, of commitment. It is a job that is at once challenging and humbling, maddeningly frustrating and rewarding. And it definitely is not for the upward-mobile. As I constantly remind my mostly college-educated staff, in this kind of work one need never worry about flunking a lifestyle check because the end result is invariably "unexplained poverty." (Or, as a sign surreptitiously scrawled on our office bulletin board declares, “Poverty alleviation is for them; poverty-creation is for us!”)

But what a way to rediscover one’s country of birth! Since my job takes me to remote communities without electricity - where our NGO works with villagers on how to make a living by adding value to coconut waste byproducts, through the use of renewable energy - I have the opportunity to see a country very different from how it is depicted in the tourist brochures, or in the hard-hitting editorial pages of major Philippine newspapers. It is also by working with the poor that I have come to appreciate all over again the innate goodness of the Filipinos, their resourcefulness and resiliency, and, above all, their cheerfulness.

There are “lessons learned” galore.

The first is that we in the so-called civil society do not have all the answers when it comes to rural development. You want to build a better mousetrap or, in our particular case, a better twining (rope-making) instrument? Don’t bother searching the Web for the desired configuration; let the local workers themselves figure it out and watch productivity triple from their improved design. And if you want three successive rainy days to help grass grow on the coconut fiber nets installed along a heavily eroded hillside, you don’t think cloud-seeding; you dip into the petty cash fund to pay for the fresh blood of a piglet which is sprinkled on the site.

The second lesson is that communications need not be by the book or by the ubiquitous manual, because rural folk are often intimidated, and reluctant to express themselves, in the confines of a formal meeting room. As one village elder put it, when asked where she had been, “To yet another wir-as wir-as” - her take on meetings where resolutions made and passed are presaged by “Whereas…”

Then there is the yawning gap between the capabilities of a community-based start-up enterprise and the voluminous demands (at rock-bottom prices) of the export market - a leading factor in the demise of many rural livelihood projects. While there is a smaller domestic market which pays better prices, it is often dominated by government-funded projects that take months, if not years, to pay for goods and services. In addition, the cost of borrowing money, even from so-called government financing institutions, is simply beyond the capability of small community-based enterprises.

The most important lesson learned is never to take for granted the aspirations of the poor, especially the women. For example, when we first went into one village to introduce the coconut fiber-processing program, the plan was to have women carry out the twining and weaving from their homes. After all, isn’t it the dream of any housewife to earn money without having to commute to work? Well, not exactly. A month after coming up with this brilliant, home-based idea, we noted a sharp decline in productivity and quality. Soon, a group of women requested that a common work shed be built next to the main coir processing plant just outside the village proper. The leader explained how the women were too distracted working from home, what with children and chores, adding, “And we want to be able to leave our homes in the morning, all dressed- and powdered-up – and when asked by neighbors where we’re going, we tell them (sticking her chin out), ‘To the office’”! Another housewife piped in, while suppressing a giggle, “And we relish the thought that it’s our husbands who are left at home taking care of the kids and cooking!”

Yes, we now have a new work shed - affectionately called “the office” - where more than a dozen women weave nets and doormats. Production has more than doubled, with the reject rate virtually at zero. Oh, and we also have men bringing in lunch for their working wives.

Indeed, this new-found "women power" has catapulted one of our workers to the top job as the first-ever female president of a small coconut farmers' cooperative. Many more of our women workers have also earned "credit-worthiness" ratings from local banks and lending institutions, and can now make purchases on credit at village stores.

The rewards of this job are the intangibles. What other job is there that makes one cry with joy when the first cocofiber net rolls off the loom? Or when lush, green grass is seen sprouting on nets covering what was once a barren hillside? How does one describe the feeling to see a 92-year-old grandmother and a paraplegic father of four proudly showing off their skills in turning the wheel of the twiner? What other job is there where a first-ever purchase order is passed around and kissed - and blessed in a thanksgiving mass?

A community development worker is always left to ponder if one’s “message” ever gets across. To know what I mean, try explaining the wisdom of environmental conservation to a group of fishermen who grumble, “The sea turtle’s got it made; it has its own Foundation!” But then again, salvation does come, albeit in the most unexpected way: I was showing a videotape of a previous visit to a fishing village which featured scenes of merrymaking during a fiesta celebration, along with scenes of the stunning sunset and sunrise at the beach and mountain ranges. Figuring that no one in the audience would be interested in touristy footage, I fast-forwarded the tape. But someone asked to see it all, and I obliged. As scene upon exquisite scene unfolded on the screen, I could hear gasps; I turned to see the awestruck faces. A voice, almost a whisper, broke the silence. “How beautiful is our village!” Another remarked, “It looks better than a postcard!,” adding, “We work all the time, we hardly ever notice.” Finally, with conviction, someone declared, “That is why we must take good care of our seas and forests!”

After nearly five years (and counting), I still ask myself, at the end of each day, whether or not what I'm doing is truly making a difference in the lives of others. I know I am not alone with these thoughts, and I share these excerpts from a journal written by a priest who has spent most of his life working with "the poor and the obscure" in the Philippines: "Located in its hidden landscape, you are nobody. You won't be projected in media; no one out there is bombarded with images of your noble commitments. You have disappeared into this setting that allows you to blend into a nondescript space that exists only in the people's and your own consciousness...."What am I doing here?" Crossing a flooded river or getting lost in the forest also has led me to tell myself, "I don't have to be here...."

I do not profess to have found the answers to poverty alleviation, and I don’t think I ever will. Of one thing I am certain, however: Mother Teresa was right in saying, “Helping the poor does not eliminate poverty, but the act of giving, of helping, forever changes the life of the giver.”

The author is president of Sustainable Rural Enterprise (SRE), a non-government organization (NGO) based on the main campus of Aklan State University (ASU) in Banga, Aklan, Philippines. She is a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer and a resident of Southern California.

E-mail address: firlatot@yahoo.com

Soldier Children (or Children As Soldiers)

2005-10-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

A TENNIS BALL FOR HASHIM
By: Perla Limbaga Manapol

My work in community development takes me to remote villages in the Philippines. Early this year I was sent to a community in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to help set up a livelihood training program for the families of former rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

As I went around the village on my first day of orientation, I noticed something odd: there was not a single playground, not even a basketball hoop that is a common sight in basketball-crazy Philippines. My guide, a teacher who is one of only two Christians in the community, told me that once a month, after payday, she takes her five children to the nearest city (two hours by pump-boat) for their favorite treat: a few hours on the swings, see-saws, and slides at a public playground. I asked if there was any kind of recreation at all for schoolchildren in her village, and she answered, “They all play with guns!”

True enough, the only playthings sold at most of the village shops were all types of toy guns and weapons. We passed by a yard where two boys were playing. They were squealing and laughing as one held the muzzle of a wooden toy rifle to the temple of the other and then pretending to pull the trigger. Seeing the shock on my face, my guide said, almost matter-of-factly, “In a few years they will be recruited by the MILF.” Right there and then, I vowed to myself – as an avid athlete and part-time coach – that besides teaching parents how to earn a living, I would also introduce a sport, any sport, to the children of this village.

On my next visit, I brought with me two dozens used tennis balls. I envisioned teaching the kids how to throw a ball, hit it with a bat, or shoot it into a hoop. Wide-eyed children and parents surrounded me as I popped the bright-yellow balls out of the oblong cans. I then playfully rolled one to a boy, motioning for him to roll it back to me. Instead, he cowered in fear and started to cry. I bounced another ball to a little girl, who screamed and ran out of the room. So here I was – someone who had assumed all her life that any child in this planet knows that a ball is a plaything – patiently and gently explaining to my audience what a ball is, demonstrating how to bounce it, throw it in the air and catch it. Finally, I showed the parents how to play a simple game of roll-bounce-catch, and made them promise to teach it to their kids. Later that day I had a local carpenter make two wooden “rackets” and two “bats.” A plastic pail with the bottom sawed off was nailed a few meters up on the trunk of a coconut tree – the first-ever basketball “hoop” in the community.

Two months later I was back at the village. One mother ran up to me and announced excitedly, “Hashim (her son) and his friends are playing with the balls!” I could hear shouts and laughter as she led me to the backyard, visions of children playing catch, stickball, maybe even hoops, running through my head. I was stopped dead on my tracks by the sight of Hashim and his friends who were, indeed, playing with the tennis balls – but loading them as fodder into a toy grenade launcher.

I have a long way to go.

E-mail: firlatot@yahoo.com

BLOG: http://coconutsgalore.blogspot.com/

SRE Now Affiliated with Ayala Foundation-USA

2005-09-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Sustainable Rural Enterprise (SRE) is now affiliated with the Ayala Foundation USA which will allow SRE to raise tax-deductible funds in the U.S. Donations to SRE may be remitted in three ways:

1. Issuing checks payable to "Ayala Foundation USA," sent to:

Ayala Foundation USA
255 Shoreline Drive, Suite 128
Redwood City, CA 94065
Tel.: 1-650-508-2000, ext. 127
Fax: 1-650-508-8988
Website: www.ayalafdnusa.org

2. Issuing checks payable to "BPI Express Remittance FAO Ayala Foundation-USA"
Account No. 0381-0126-38, sent to:

BPI Express Remittance Corp.
Milpitas Branch, Ulferts Center
642 Barber Lane, Ste. No. 205
Milpitas, CA

3. Issuing checks payable to "Ayala Foundation USA" and sent to:

Ayala Foundation, Inc.
10th Floor, BPI Main Building
Paseo de Roxas, Corner Ayala Avenue
Makati City, Philippines

OFFICIAL RECEIPTS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT RECEIPTS WILL BE ISSUED TO DONORS BY AYALA FOUNDATION USA UPON RECEIPT OF THEIR DONATIONS. THESE DOCUMENTS CAN BE USED BY DONORS FOR CLAIMING TAX-DEDUCTIBILITY BENEFITS WHEN FILING THEIR INCOME TAX RETURNS.

SRE Calls for Increased Domestic Use of Coconets

2005-09-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

LETTER SENT TO PHILIPPINE SENATOR PIA CAYETANO
September 1, 2005

Dear Senator Cayetano:

I am sending this message to you because I know your advocacies are on the environment and women empowerment.

We need to do a lot more to develop the DOMESTIC market for coconut fiber geotextiles (coconets). Currently, it is China that is the biggest user of coconets. And yet, the Philippines is landslide-prone and has thousands of hectares of degraded land (strip-mined mountains and hillsides, watersheds, riverbanks, mangroves, fishponds) that can benefit enormously - in an environment-friendly manner - from coconets. AND YET DOMESTIC USAGE OF COCONETS - THE PRODUCTION OF WHICH TRANSLATES TO THOUSANDS OF JOBS FOR POOR COCONUT FARMERS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN - IS PATHETICALLY MINUSCULE. (In addition, the selling price in the domestic market is almost twice that in the foreign market.)

The main gripe cited by coconet producers is that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) - despite Presidential Memorandum No. 25 mandating the use of coconets in all government infrastructure projects - is not too enthused, even if coconets are much cheaper than cement and imported peat moss. FYI: Germany has banned the use of peat moss because it involves mining that leads to ecological destruction. Germany has mandated the use of only coconut dust in lieu of peat moss. (Coconut dust is 65% of a coconut husk that is decorticated; 35% is coconut fiber.)

The other reason Filipino coconet producers are reluctant to go into the domestic market is the long wait for payment for deliverables, often taking months if not years. And most sub-contractors, including our NGO, simply do not have the means to borrow money. The Department of Budget Management (DBM) had initiated a prompt-paying scheme whereby government financing institutions can purchase contractors' deliverables at a discount, with payment made within 30 days. But many contractors claim that this noble scheme remains in limbo.

Our NGO is one of those little voices who insist that there MUST be ways and means to (a) put pressure on the DPWH to implement Presidential Memorandum 25; (b) follow through with the DBM on the prompt-payment scheme, and (c) prod foreign funding groups including the USAID, AUSAID, CIDA, JICA, et al - whose development projects include infrastructure upgrades throughout the Philippines - to include a clause in their contracts mandating the use of coconets as per Presidential Memorandum 25.

In other words, instead of looking at the export market as the only salvation for coconet producers, we focus on local solutions for a major local problem. What better incentive than a "wonder by-product from our tree of life" that benefits women and the poor as well as the environment!

I am sure that you have heard that the Philippines' innovation on coconets is one of the finalists in the BBC/Newsweek Global Challenge competition that culminates in mid-November 2005. Whether or not the Philippine coconet wins, the competition itself has already garnered worldwide attention and has gained precious publicity for our coconets. WOULDN'T IT BE A SHAME IF THE REST OF THE WORLD CAME TO REALIZE THAT IN THE PHILIPPINES ITSELF COCONETS ARE STILL AN UNKNOWN, AND LITTLE-USED COMMODITY???

At this point where only the foreign media appear to be heaping praises on, and spotlighting, the attributes of coconets, we could use all the help in getting the attention - and ACTION - of our country's leaders and decision-makers.

Thank you for whatever you can do to help promote the use of coconut fiber geotextiles (coconets) in the Philippines.

Sincerely,

Ms. Perla Limbaga Manapol
President
Sustainable Rural Enterprise
"Always Use Your Coconut!"
Banga and Ibajay, Aklan
Philippines
Telephones: 63-36-262-4846; 63-36-267-6811
Fax: 63-36-268-4765
E-mail: firlatot@yahoo.com
Blog: http://coconutsgalore.blogspot.com

SRE Replicates Aklan Model in Sulu, Mindanao

2005-09-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Sustainable Rural Enterprise (SRE), in partnership with the Governor of the Province of Sulu and BJ Coco Oilmill in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), is replicating the "Aklan Model" of a coconut coir processing enterprise in Indanan, Sulu. Other partners include the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the German Development Fund (GED).

The project is expected to start in mid-October 2005 and will employ as many as 150 families in the first phase. Majority of the workers will be women, many of whom are widows of slain combatants in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Output will include coconut fiber geotextiles (coconets); coconut dust/peat for use as organic fertilizer, soil enhancer, and mulch; doormats, and planting pots (for "soil-less" gardening).

The replication is the first of its kind in ARMM and was first conceptualized by PBSP's "Business and Peace" and "Business Partnership" initiatives for war-affected areas of Mindanao.

A second replication in ARMM is being planned for the province of Basilan. It is expected to start in the second quarter of 2006.

Philippine Coconets in Worldwide Competition

2005-09-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Did you know that the Philippines' coconut geotextile (a.k.a. coconet) for soil erosion control has been chosen as one of the 12 finalists in Newsweek and BBC's (British Broadcasting Corporation) World's World Challenge?

The World Challenge is basically a competition/search designed at identifying groups or individuals all over the world whose projects have contributed great impact at grass roots level.

A documentary about Philippine Coconut geotextile or coconet industry will be shown on the BBC World cable channel on September 24 around 8:30 GMT and will also be featured in the August 29 special issue of Newsweek.

"The World Challenge" already offers a tremendous exposure and publicity to our flourishing Philippine coconut geotextile industry and to our Philippine coconut fiber exporters. But it would be great liberation for our country, which has been getting very bad publicity nowadays, to win this prestigious competition.

To vote, please open www.theworldchallenge.co.uk and click the picture of Philippine coconet.

Please help us campaign for more voters by forwarding this message to your co-workers, friends and relatives. On line voting has officially started last August 15 and will end on October 15, 2005.

We are counting on your support.

Thanks!

Presidential Memorandum No. 25

2005-09-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

OF THE PHILIPPINES

Malacañang

Manila, September 2, 2002

MEMORANDUM

CIRCULAR NO. 25

DIRECTING ALL NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, BUREAUS, AND OTHER INSTRUMENTALITIES INCLUDING AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND COUNCILS TO USE COCO PEAT OR COIR DUST AND COCONUT FIBER MATERIALS FOR SOIL CONDITIONING AND EROSION CONTROL.

In line with the program to promote better farm practices and environment conservation to mitigate the effect of drought during El Niño years, all heads of National and Local Government agencies, bureaus, and instrumentalities including Government institutions and councils involved in the implementation of farming programs are hereby directed to prescribe the use of coco peat and other coconut husk materials in farming and horticulture as effective soil conditioner and water moisture conservator.

Likewise, the use of geo-textiles and bio-logs or fascines made from coir or coconut fiber is hereby prescribed for use in infrastructure and public work projects for soil erosion control, more particularly of the Department of Public Works and Highways. These coir products, proven for their high tensile strength, are abundant, available, and biodegradable.

The use of coir will further provide additional income to coconut farmers and generate more jobs in the countryside.

The Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Philippine Coconut Authority shall issue the corresponding Implementing Guidelines within thirty (30) days from the date of issuance of this Memorandum Circular.

For strict compliance.

Manila, September 2, 2002

By the President:

(Signed) ALBERTO G. ROMULO

Executive Secretary

A fully restored hillside!

2004-10-09T22:24:00.000-07:00

A fully restored hillside!
Originally uploaded by Firlatot.

Remember that bare hillside? This is what it looks like a year after nets (embedded with grass seeds) were installed!

Same hillside after 3 months

2004-10-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Same hillside after 3 months
Originally uploaded by Firlatot.

This is the same bare hillside upon which nets (embedded with grass seeds) were installed - three months later.

The "before" picture of a hillside

2004-10-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

The "before" picture of a hillside
Originally uploaded by Firlatot.

This is one of the thousands of hillsides that need vegetation to control land degradation and erosion.

How coconut fiber twines are made into nets

2004-10-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

How coconut fiber twines are made into nets
Originally uploaded by Firlatot.

The coconut fibers from waste coconut husks are first made into twines or ropes, then woven into nets. The looms were designed by the women workers themselves.

Nets ready for shipment

2004-10-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

Nets ready for shipment
Originally uploaded by Firlatot.

SRE staff sit atop rolls of nets used to control soil erosion at a highway reconstruction site.

SRE Receives Orders for Geotextiles

2004-10-09T21:31:00.005-07:00

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.

Coco_Pete

2004-08-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

Coco_Pete
Originally uploaded by Firlatot.

This is the official, registered logo and motto of Sustainable Rural Enterprise (SRE), Aklan, Philippines. "Coconut" also means "head." At SRE we believe that to always use one's coconut also means JOBS!

From waste to wealth

2004-08-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

From waste to wealth
Originally uploaded by Firlatot.

These village women show off the various products that they have made out of coconut fiber from waste coconut husks that are traditionally burned or left to rot - a livelihood project of Sustainable Rural Enterprise, Aklan, Philippines. The nets and mats are used for soil erosion control on hillsides, riverbanks, and mangroves, and to restore badly degraded soil in forests and mining sites.

Press Release

2004-08-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

AKLAN NGO WINS WORLD BANK PHILIPPINES
DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION MARKETPLACE AWARD
Winning Proposal Promotes Coconut-based Livelihood Generation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Banga, Aklan, Philippines
January 10, 2004

Sustainable Rural Enterprise (SRE), an Aklan-based non-government organization (NGO), bagged one of the 51 awards at the first World Bank Philippines Development Innovation Marketplace (WB-DIM) competition held at the SM Megatrade on January 9-10, 2004. One hundred seventeen finalists – out of some 1,700 applications from all over the country – showcased their projects in the exhibit competition, Panibagong Paraan (innovative process) – Making Services Work for the Poor. SRE’s winning project proposal was entitled, Coconut-based Livelihood Generation Using Renewable Energy.

Bannered by its Always Use Your Coconut! logo, SRE’s booth depicted, step-by-step, how the waste coconut husk is processed – using a biomass gasifier fuelled by raw coconut shells to run the decorticator – into fiber for geotextiles, mats, drapes, caps and backpacks; coco dust or peat for use as planting medium or soil nutrient, among others, all of which were also on display.

“It was obvious, from the reaction of thousands of exhibit viewers, that a great number of Filipinos are not even aware that the lowly bunot (coconut husk) – which we throw away or burn, resulting in air pollution – is a tremendous source of livelihood and income for our small coconut farmers, particularly, for women,” beamed Perla Manapol, SRE president. Pointing to photographs of a badly-eroded hillside, and the same hillside a few weeks later covered by coconut fiber nets with grass growth, Manapol added, “Why import non-environment-friendly plastic nets when our very own coconut fiber nets do just as good a job, if not better, of controlling soil erosion?”

The market for geotextiles is expected to grow, especially with the implementation of Presidential Memorandum Circular No. 25, dated September 2002, which mandates the use of these materials for all government infrastructure projects. In addition, China, which will be hosting the 2008 Olympics, is sourcing coconut fiber from all over Asia for use in mattresses, and geotextile nets for upgrading roads, hillsides, and riverbanks.

It is hoped that adding value to coconut byproducts other than copra and oil will encourage coconut farmers to stop cutting their trees to sell as lumber – a leading factor in the decline of the coconut industry in the Philippines. Toward this end, SRE will undertake an aggressive marketing, information, and education campaign to promote its products and services in both domestic and international markets.

In anticipation of orders for its nets and other products, SRE will use its WB-DIM grant to expand, and to replicate, the “Aklan model” to other economically-depressed, coconut-growing communities. Emphasis will be on training, and employing, women and out-of-school youth. SRE will also purchase a new decorticator to be fuelled by coconut diesel (Coco Methyl Ester, CME), and will produce several rolls of geotextile nets to be used for demonstration installations in mangroves, fishponds, hillsides, forests, riverbanks, and mining areas. (SRE is currently undertaking feasibility studies for replicating the Aklan model in Basilan in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.) “The grant from the WB-DIM will allow SRE to become self-supporting by the end of the year, with a work force of as many as 500 families in Aklan alone,” Manapol says.

Providing jobs, preventing land degradation, promoting the use of renewable energy, reviving the coconut industry – that’s a tall order for a four-year-old NGO.

“Not if you Always Use Your Coconut!” Manapol quips.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Perla L. Manapol, President
Sustainable Rural Enterprise
Aklan State University, Main Campus
Banga, Aklan, Philippines
Telephone: (63)(36) 267-6811
Fax: (63)(36) 268-4765
Mobile: (63)(916) 361-1094
E-mail: pmanapol@hotmail.com; perlama@juno.com
Website/Blog: http://coconutsgalore.blogspot.com

My Profile

2004-08-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

PERLA LIMBAGA MANAPOL
- Filipino-American, resides in Newbury Park, California, USA, and in Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines
- Currently President of Sustainable Rural Enterprise (SRE), a non-government organization (NGO) that promotes coconut-based livelihood generation thru the use of clean and renewable
energy
- Former U.S. Foreign Service Officer (public affairs) with postings in Peru, Jamaica, India, and Indonesia
- Former independent consultant on business development in Southeast Asia
- Published author of two books ("Goal: Green Card" and "Never, Ever Bite into the Seed of a Lanzones")
- Earned B.A. (History) at SUNY Fredonia; Ms.Ed. at Harvard University
- Has played competitive squash and tennis