Briquette At Eco Park

Shown is the burner with Atty. Allen S. Quimpo explaining its operation.

Starting the engine of the mixer machine.

Preparing the newly molded charcoal briquettes for air drying and later solar.

"The Philippines is rich with natural resources, but her people choose to be economically poor". The Philippines has wide track of lowland so fertile for food production like cereals, vegetables, pork and beef. However, the Philippines is importing these commodities to fill the actual demand.

There are several rivers with enough water to irrigate agricultural lands, produce electricity, minimize the effect of floods, but most of the river waters are not harnessed for the good of the people.

The sea area is even wider than the land area. The sea is inhabited by various species of fishes use both for food and as ornamentals. However, the Filipinos has not maximized the fish catch from deep sea fishing. Some fishermen had even destroyed the sea resources with the use of chemicals and explosives in fishing. As a result, fish is always in shortage thereby resulting to importation. There are more mountains and hills but Filipinos have destroyed the forest resulting to rapid soil erosion, river banks destruction and siltation. It resulted to deep floods annually, and destroying lives and properties worth billions of pesos.

Bakhawan Eco Park

In view of this destruction, a coastal Bakhawan replanting project was started in Buswang New by the Mayor of Kalibo in the 1980’s, Atty. Allen S. Quimpo. It started with 50 hectares. It has gradually increased annually until today which is now 170 hectares. He left the project to former Mayor Diego M. Luces followed by Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo after his election as Congressman of Aklan. But Atty. Allen S. Quimpo continued assisting the project.

On Tuesday morning, March 16, the Kay Nishimura Shed, now a component of the Bakhawan Eco Park was blessed. The charcoal briquetting machine was blessed and launched. This machine according to Atty. Allen S. Quimpo cost P90,000. This is a set which consist of five (5) components: The burner, the grinder, the mixer, the binder, and the dryer.

The simple launching program included the demonstration in the operation of the briquetting machine from burning to the drying of the charcoal briquettes by former congressman Allen S. Quimpo who is now the chairman of the KASAMA MPC.

Compared to the bulk of the ordinary wood charcoal, the briquette charcoal weighs 40 kilograms per sack to 17 kilograms. Therefore, it reduces volume, packaging materials, transport and handling cost.

These briquettes being produced are from the leaves and pruned branches of the bakhawan. Compared to ordinary charcoal, these charcoal briquettes had more intense heat, having higher British Thermal Unit (BTU).

According to Mr. Mcmillian, an expert from Texas University, the 170 hectares of Bakhawan in Buswang New is capable of producing 34,000 metric tons charcoal per annum or 34 million kilograms. At P10 per kilogram, it will be P340 million. The 170 hectares Eco Park will make the people of that barangay millionaires, if they will develop diligence, perseverance and frugality. And why not? /MP