Vice-Mayor William Ablong, one of the well-known environmentalists here, said eco-kalan is economical than the liquefied petroleum gas because it will use firewood.
Eco-kalan, which is made up of clay, is even more economical than the traditional kalan due to its modern technology and in minimizing carbon dioxide.
But it doubles the heat than the common kalan to shorten the time of cooking, hassle free like a gas range.
The eco-kalan is a portable stove that produces very little smoke, achieves 95 percent combustion in minutes, uses 70 percent less wood fuel and capable of using waste for fuel such as coconut stems, husks and other parts of the coconut tree that it sheds as the tree grows.
Ablong, in a turn over ceremony of the eco-kalan to all housing beneficiaries of the Couples for Christ's Gawad Kalinga in Barangay Bajumpandan Sunday morning, said this invention is very much needed not just to help the less fortunate families but also to help lessen air pollution.
Ablong stressed, that based on research, 85 percent of the air pollution is caused by carbon dioxide.
Majority of them is coming from the cars, factories and even due to burning of garbage and firewood.
"Pero kining eco-kalan gawas nga dali rang maluto ang imong lat-an menus pa ang aso," Ablong said, admitting he owns an eco-kalan himself.
Rogelio Clamonte of the City Environment and Natural Resource Office, in the same forum, echoed Ablong's statement.
Clamonte said air pollution causes respiratory and skin diseases.
It will also cause eye cataract and other infectious diseases.
Civic works
The Veermer couple, who are active in community service and environment friendly advocates, donated eco-kalans to the at least 22-households of Gawad Kalinga 2 Community in Barangay Bajumpandan, this city.
The distribution of the Eco-Kalans will be spearheaded by Veermer couple who are active members of the Chilcotin Log Church in British Columbia.
Ablong told Sun.Star Dumaguete that the latest distribution of free eco-kalans to Gawad Kalinga households is the third time, since the product was invented last year.
Leovigildo Elmaco, manager of the Institutional Services Department of Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative (Noreco 2) and CFC official who represent the Vermeer couple, said that first distribution was held at the Gawad Kalinga 3 Community with 24-households received the eco-kalan for free.
The second distribution was held at Gawad Kalinga 1 Community, where a total of 25-households received free eco-kalan.
The couple, he said, is planning to distribute eco-kalan to more than a hundred household of the Habitat for Humanity Communities 3, also in Barangay Bajumpandan, next month.
Livelihood
Meanwhile, a foreign foundation is planning to provide a capital for eco-kalan as livelihood of the Gawad Kalinga Communities.
Elmaco, in his short message during a turn over ceremony Sunday morning, said Rebecca has informed her Assistant Manager Junebelle Fonollera about the foreign foundation who also wanted to help the GK Communities through eco-kalan.
Fonollera, on the other hand, told Sun.Star Dumaguete that they are now starting to manufacture eco-kalan at Felipa Beach in Barangay Mangnao, this city.
She, however, reminded the consumers to be aware of imitations.
Vermeer's product has a marking that easy to recognize the quality of the original eco-kalan.
