MANILA, Philippines – Iloilo professor Alexis Belonio is the first Filipino to win the prestigious Rolex Award for inventing a stove that converts rice husks into environmentally friendly cooking gas.
Founded in 1976, the Rolex Award is given to "visionaries" who have undertaken groundbreaking projects.
As an Associate Laureate, Belonio received $50,000 and a steel and gold Rolex chronometer at the awarding ceremony.
His invention turns agricultural waste into purified gas in a top-lit, updraft and biomass gas stove. The low-cost stove powered by rice husks--the most abundant of farm wastes--reduces fuel costs and minimizes greenhouse gas.
Stoves fueled by rice husks have been used before, but are sooty and unhealthy and do not generate enough heat to cook food quickly.
Converting husks to gas provide a much hotter, cleaner flame for cooking--not to mention a cheaper source of energy.
A ton of rice husks contains the same energy as 415 liters of petrol or 378 liters of kerosene. A few handfuls of rice husks can boil water in six to nine minutes.
Belonio is an associate professor of agricultural engineering at the Central Philippine University in Iloilo City.
He intends to use the funds from the award to set up a demonstration center in Iloilo to disseminate free information and to provide training and technical advice about technologies he has developed.
Belonio joins nine other awardees from India, Jordan, Mexico, Paraguay, South Africa, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The 2008 Rolex Awards for Enterprise winners were chosen from nearly 1,500 applicants in 127 countries by an independent panel of scientists, educators, economists and other experts.
Iloilo scientist is first Filipino to win Rolex Award
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Pilipino are world class talent. Galing ng Pinoy!!! Saan nakakabili ng invention ni Prof. Belonio?
galing ng pinoy ..anytime...anywhere...mabuhay...go pinoys go!
To be more accurate, Alexis Belonio is the first Rolex Associate Laureate from the Philippines. There were at least two recipients of Rolex Honorable Mention citations from the Philippines during the 1980's. One, whose name I cant recall now was cited by the Rolex Foundation for his efforts to convert guano to fertilizer. Another one was Manny Marcelo (deceased) who used fly larvae as an alternative protein source for poultry.
Kudos, but let me share what I think: "sharing" is one way to make sure the Philippines will never get to benefit from this invention. Think how long it took for the world to appreciate Linux. Patenting it, getting support from Filipino corporations to manufacture it would not only hasten the distribution of the technology, it could also create a local industry. And given that this technology fits the poorer lifestyle, just imagine what a marketing-driven distribution of the rice husk stove could do to poverty alleviation.
GO PINOY!!!!
What an honor for the Philippines and for Mr. Belonio. I am personally really proud of his accomplishment because his success is also a big honor for my alma mater, Central Philippine University (CPU) in Iloilo City. Way to go, Mr. Belonio! I wish you the best in all your future endeavors.
Problema sa krisis sa LPG?
Nandito na ang sagot, ang Portable Rice Husk Gas Stove by Engr. Belonio. Made to order, direct from Iloilo. Ang lifetime saving gas stove. Ang imbensyon Filipino at gawang Filipino. For serious inquiry and order email at pinagpala2004 at yahoo (dot) com
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Rolex Honorable Mention is different from Rolex Associate Laureate.
There is a huge difference between these two titles.
and those two honorably mentioned filipinos cannot be considered as Rolex award winners.
It's funny that you finally spoke up! I have been waiting for someone to bring this out to the open! Anyway... nice post. I will be back.