PUSHING for a green and sustainable community, the Therma South Inc. (TSI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of AboitizPower Corporation, partnered with Green Antz Builders Inc., a social enterprise and Davao-based UKC Multipurpose Cooperative for the "Fly Ash Brick Project."
To formally realize the project, the three players involved inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) last December 1 at the TSI Davao Baseload power plant in Binugao, Toril, Davao City.
The project, which is expected to start next year, will utilize TSI plant's by-product, the fly ash and produce high-value construction products like bricks out of it.
TSI will provide the fly ash and space for the production of the product.
Green Antz Builders Inc., for its part, will provide the technology in manufacturing the fly-ash brick thus establishes livelihood, houses, and school buildings in the community, while UKC Multipurpose Cooperative will operate the project hiring employees from TSI host community and market the products to possible buyers.
The fly ash bricks will be made out of wastes, 15 percent of its total component are fly ash while 5 to 10 percent are residual wastes (sachets, etc.).
"The vision really is to put up a community-based cooperative that will produce high-value construction materials made out of the plant's by-product like the fly ash. We want to make sure that the area where they will make the bricks will be within our host community (Binugao and Inawayan) and all employees are from them, they will be the one to benefit from this. We will also patronize this project by using the products in our Corporate Social Responsibility activities like building schools," said TSI vice president and plant manager Engr. Valentin S. Saludes III.
Saludes said that TSI is capable of producing 100 tons of fly ash a day.
He added that of the 100 tons, 60 percent of it is delivered to Holcim, while the remaining 40 percent will be dedicated to the project.
Green Antz Builders. Inc founder and CEO Rommel B. Benig said the project "treats wastes as a resource and at the same time creating livelihood and employment to the community while building green structures."
Asked on the durability and quality of the fly ash brick, Benig said it is five to six times stronger than the usual hollow blocks. It is currently sold at P18 to P25 per piece.
One brick actually requires 50 to 100 packs of 3-in-1 coffee and other sachet products. For the initial phase of the project, Benig said they target to produce 600 pieces daily.
Charlo Deniega, chair of the UKC Multipurpose Cooperative, expressed support for the project emphasizing the project will change the construction landscape in the city if marketed well to the people especially to the developer.
"If anyone of you knows someone or a group that plans to build buildings and other constructions, please contact us," Deniega said.
The coop tapped its sister coop, the Income Credit Cooperative, a lending coop for the initial funding of the project at P800,000.
Schools are also encouraged to take part in the project by urging their students to bring wastes like sachets for the manufacturing of the fly-ash brick.
Benig said the project will also develop environmental awareness among the youth and the rest of the community.
"Let's build a better Philippines, let's cleanup Philippines one community, one brick at a time," Benig said.