Eco-Kalan

Published on Mar 31, 2015

AIMS of the Eco-Kalan Project
To Improve the Health, Environment and Economics of Poor Communities

March 30, 2015

Dear Friends,
In the current video, I share with you the exciting developments from the partnership between the Eco-Kalan Project with the Negros Oriental Visayan Forum, the 79th Infantry Battalion and the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army in a livelihood program based on the Eco-Kalan and the Bingka Oven.

Since the Oct. 4, 2014 demonstration at Felipa Beach on Cooking with the Eco-Kalan and Baking with the Bingka Oven to members of SUMAPI Dumandan (http://youtu.be/RUYq7i1gQj4 ), we have learned and accomplished the following:

On December 14 -15, 2014, the Eco-Kalan Project and its partners
- set up an Eco-Kalan-C kitchen with Bingka ovens fired with wood and coconut shell charcoal and a traditional oven fired by wood for comparison; and
- officially launch the Eco-Kalan & Bingka Oven as a livelihood program for SUMAPI Dumandan under the Visayan Forum's umbrella.

In reviewing the interviews with SUMAPI members, guests and attendees at the launching, I learned about the limitations in the supply of coconut shell charcoal; restrictions in the production and supply of wood charcoal; and the seemingly unavoidable smoke when using wood as fuel for the Bingka oven. Smoke during baking can tarnish the appearance and taste of the baked product making it unmarketable.. And yet, wood is most often the fuel of choice when coconut shell or wood charcoal are not available or when wood is free for the picking.

I decided to make a clay stove which can function as a TLUD (gasifier) stove in phase 1 of the burn and as a charcoal stove in phase 2. That gave rise to the Whirly Pinay-S (2 kg wood capacity) and the Whirly Pinay-L (4 kg wood capacity) based on Kelpie Wilson's tin can Whirly Girl TLUD (Top Lit Upward Draft) stove. Our March 17, 2015 test runs with the large bingka oven using firewood in the improved Whirly Pinay (longer secondary air slits) produced clean, untarnished bingkas in all the 4 batches.

ublished on Dec 20, 2013

December 20, 2013

Dear Friends,
A few weeks after Typhoon Bopha (locally Pablo) struck eastern Mindanao in December 2012, I was introduced electronically to a Filipina doing graduate studies in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.. This young Filipina was fundraising for her home province of Davao Oriental in Vancouver but I was only able to contact her after she returned to Saskatoon. When she learned about the Eco-Kalan, she lamented at the thought of "so much rice donated to the typhoon victims but nothing to cook it with". Her lament has echoed in my mind ever since and has made me more determined to bring the Eco-Kalan stoves to victims of disasters wherever possible, not by ourselves, but with other organizations that can provide security, reliable transportation, food, drinking water, clothing and building supplies.

Find out more about the Eco-Kalan project here: http://www.eco-kalan.com/

February 3, 2014

Dear Friends,
On December 27-28, 2013, the Eco-Kalan Project Team led by Monica Sison and the Philippine Army (302nd Infantry Achiever Brigade in Tanjay, Negros Or.; 303rd Infantry Brigade in Murcia, Negros Occ,; and 62nd Infantry Battalion in Sagay) went on a relief mission to Purok San Pedro Beach in Barangay Old Sagay, Negros Occidental, Philippines*:

a) to distribute relief food supplies and clothing collected by Monica from a Catholic school where she is teaching, the Social Action Team of the Catholic Diocese of Dumaguete, and ONCAN (Oriental Negros Children Advocacy Network); and

b) to train 150 persons in the set up and use of the eco-Kalan from Barangay Old Sagay who were worst hit by Typhoon Haiyan (locally called Yolanda). These trainees would become the demonstrators at eco-Kalan presentations in their barangay in the New Year. Of the 150 persons selected by Barangay Old Sagay officials, only 35 were from Purok San Pedro Beach.

Purok San Pedro Beach is a coastal village where fishing is the main livelihood. It is also the poorest of the typhoon devastated areas in Old Sagay. Since Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) hit the eastern Visayas on November 8, 2013, little aid has reached this purok. The typical relief food package given to a family was 3kg of rice, 2-3 little cans of sardines and 2-3 packs of noodle soup -- a single day's meager provision for a family of 2 adults and 4 little children. Poor families extended the number of days they ate from this food aid by cooking the rice as lugaw -- i.e., rice boiled in lots of water.

Dear Friends,

A few weeks after Typhoon Bopha (locally Pablo) struck eastern Mindanao in December 2012, I was introduced electronically to a young Filipina doing graduate studies in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. She was fundraising for her home province of Davao Oriental in Vancouver but I was only able to contact her after she returned to Saskatoon. When she learned about the Eco-Kalan, she lamented at the thought of "so much rice donated to the typhoon victims but nothing to cook it with". Her lament has echoed in my mind ever since and it has made me more determined to bring the Eco-Kalan stoves to victims of disasters wherever possible, not by ourselves, but with other organizations that can provide security, reliable transportation, food, drinking water, clothing and building supplies.

When Typhoon Haiyan (or Yolanda) made landfall on Leyte on November 8, 2013, we immediately advised the Emergency Response Team at the Negros Oriental Governor's Office; the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Dumaguete; and our main partner, the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, of the Eco-Kalan Project's interest to join relief missions to typhoon ravaged communities. Tacloban, Leyte and the northern islands of Cebu were quickly saturated with NGOs and security became a problem so our Project accepted the assignment to Cadiz and Sagay on northern Negros Island where little or no aid had been received. The Eco-Kalan team met with local barangay officials for Cadiz Viejo and Lacawon Island and for Old Sagay to assess the needs there and took photos for documentation (see links below). We also made plans for an Eco-Kalan demonstration and distribution of relief food and clothing in Cadiz Viejo for Lacawon and Cadiz typhoon victims on December 7; and later on December 28 for Old Sagay victims to allow time for the reconstruction of a covered area on a school ground. At each Eco-Kalan demonstration, an Emergency Eco-Kalan-C Kitchen is set-up with 10 stoves each.; and 150 householders are trained in the set-up and use of the Eco-Kalan (see demonstration photos below). These trainees will be the demonstrators at the Eco-Kalan presentations on January 11, 2014 for 670 households from Lacawon Island and Cadiz Viejo; and on January 25 for the 500 or more of the 2,082 affected households in Old Sagay, depending on donations we receive. Lacawon Island will be given 5 Eco-Kalan-C to set-up an Emergency Kitchen of their own. The Emergency Eco-Kalan-C Kitchen is an essential and necessary component of our demonstrations and presentations as nothing appeals more to the poor and hungry than the delicious aroma of the food we cook on the stove they are given.

NEW to this Eco-Kalan Project's Lakbay Aral Video:

  1. Income Earning and Business Potential of Eco-Kalan-C stove
    Banana-ques as example.
  2. Outstanding Cooking Performance of the Eco-Kalan-C
    Cooked for 111 persons at the Lakbay Aral luncheon at Felipa Beach, Dumaguete City, Philippines.

Using 2 Eco-Kalan-C, we cooked:

  • 126 kg of food (Pork & Beans, Pancit, Rice, Banana-ques, Fried Chicken); in
  • 5 hrs 19 minutes total cooking time on Eco-Kalan-C; using
  • 16.65 kg of firewood (star apple tree); valued at
  • Ᵽ75 pesos or USD $1.74 (under USD $2)

Eco-Kalan & Magic Box Demo to Lakbay Aral from Caticugan Elem. Sch., Siaton, Neg. Or., July 26, 2013
by Rebecca Vermeer
AIMS of Eco-Kalan Project:
To Improve the Health, Environment and Economics of Poor Communities.

Eco-Kalan Donors & Lunch Sponsors from Canada: Kees & Rebecca Arrieta Vermeer of Sidney, BC; and The Chilcotin Log Church of Hanceville, BC

LAKBAY-ARAL PROJECT
("Bayanihan Para sa Kabataan Lakbay-Aral Para Sa Karunungan at Kapayapaan" Project)
The Lakbay-Aral Project is a one-day Educational Tour of Dumaguete City for Grade 5 and Grade 6 pupils of selected elementary schools in isolated communities, most of which are within conflict zones in Negros Oriental, Philippines. It is designed to broaden the horizon of these school children by exposing them to other people, places and activities outside their respective community.

PROJECT PROPONENTS:
302ND BRIGADE, PHILIPPINE ARMY, NEGROS ORIENTAL
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, NEGROS ORIENTAL DIVISION
ORIENTAL NEGROS CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY NETWORK
ECO-KALAN PROJECT
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE

AIMS OF THE PROJECT:

  1. To promote the Bayanihan tradition of the Philippines as an effective tool in the pursuit of peace, security and development in the community.
  2. To strengthen the Philippine Army and the Armed Forces of the Philippines' partnership with the peace and security stakeholders, in particular the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's).
  3. To promote education as a key to sustainable development and lasting peace in communities.

"The eco-KALAN Project" is a proud Partner of the Lakbay-Aral Project.

Eco-Kalan Presentation in the Philippines (January 26, 2013)

Rebecca Vermeer
Eco-Kalan Project
Email: ravermeer@telus.net

Find out more about the Eco-Kalan:
http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/eco-kalan
Air Jordan 1 GS

Introducing the eco-Kalan in the Philippines
Rebecca Arrieta Vermeer of Dumaguete City, Philippines


What is an eco-KALAN?

An eco-KALAN is a portable stove made of clay consisting of three components: the outer shell (kalan) on which the cooking pot sits; the inner chamber (rocket elbow) where the combustion takes place; and a shelf with air holes to hold the fuel. The space between the kalan and the combustion chamber is filled with wood ash for insulation.

See the eco-Kalan Story http://www.eco-kalan.com/index.php?what

Videos:

Feeding Program at South City Elementary School, Mangnao, Dumaguete City, Philippines

Pilot Lunch Program for 40 school days in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines starting on January 11, 2010. Program is funded by the Philippine Government and administered by the Department of Education.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRjDNMsJmiE&feature=email

Introducing the Eco-Kalan-C and Eco-Magic Box to the Lunch Feeding Program.

This video demonstrates how to build an Eco- Magic Box; and how to use the Magic Box and the Commercial (C) Eco-Kalan in the Lunch Feeding Program at South City Central School in Mangnao, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtsM_dm6XZw&feature=email

Avocado Eco-Kalan Presentation, February 19, 2010.
Avocado is a mountain community in the town of Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental, Philippines. Donors from British Columbia, Canada are Kees & Rebecca Arrieta Vermeer and the Chilcotin Log Church. Avocado is unique in that it was and continues to be a base for insurgencies by the New People's Army.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqq-vfTepc8&feature=email

The projects are supported by non-profit organizations in British Columbia, Canada.

Stove development has been in collaboration with Nate Johnson and Mark Bryden of Iowa State University and Sebastian Africano of Trees Water and People and Aprovecho Research Center.

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