Unique biomass cooking stove invented in Bataan

   ABUCAY, Bataan- An agricultural engineer in Bataan on Tuesday said he was asking for the commercialization of his invention, a biomass cooking stove, that he considered as unique and already recognized by a United Nation’s agency.

   Engr. Jonathan Lacayanga, 42, chief of the Research Division of the Bataan Polytechnic State University branch, said that he has proposed to his school to set aside funds for the commercialization of the cooking stove he calls as “vertical-fed stove”.Through commercialization, he expects to derive carbon trading for his invention that does not emit too much smoke when cooking unlike other cookstoves using biomass. “Kapag maraming gumagamit, pwedeng i-lobby sa carbon market para bayaran sa emissions na nabawas sa atmosphere,” he said.

   “Ito lamang ang may patayong panggatong. Bagama’t meron ng lumabas na tulad nito pero walang pag-aaral para ayusin ang combustion ng kalan. Itong sa amin, kapag tuloy-tuloy ang apoy walang usok sa exhaust at hindi na kailangang hipan ng hipan,” the university instructor said.

   “Kalimitang principle ng maraming kalan ay ang tinatawag na ‘top lid, up draft’ pero itong sa amin eh ‘bottom lid, down draft’ dahil pababa ang hangin, hindi pataas,” the engineer said.

   Lacayanga teaches and does research works at the BPSU branch near an Aeta upland village in Abucay, Bataan that used to be the Bataan National Agriculture School.

   “Tapos na kami sa research pero patuloy pa ang pag-aaral to further improve it,” he said.

   He said that his invention started in 2004 but almost perfected in 2007 was recognized in 2012 by the UN’s Global Alliance for Clean Cook Stoves. That earned for BPSU membership in the alliance.

   He said that the UN targeted to distribute millions of efficient cooking stoves for biomass-dependents in the world.

   Recent result of study by the World Health Organization showed that the No. 5-turned No. 4 killer in countries using biomass-fed stoves is the smoke from inefficient stoves that produces Air Indoor Pollution, Lacayanga said.

   He said that 86 percent of the households in the Philippines use stoves fuelled by wood, coconut shells and other biomass materials.

   Lacayanga said his invention was under patent with the Intellectual Property Rights of the Philippines. He said he has presented his biomass cookstove in Cambodia and that he was also invited in China.

   Several non-government organizations in Africa wanted the technology transferred to them. 

   “Nakita nila na kailangang-kailangan ito sa Africa na hindi tulad ng malakas na usok galing sa tungkong kalan,” he said.

   The engineer said he prefers the masses in our country to benefit from his invention. 

   “Nakahanda kong ituro sa kanila ang paggawa nito. Ang habol ko lamang ay ang kilalanin kung saan nanggaling ang technology.”

   Zorille Villaflores, staff assistant of Lacayanga, and housewife Maribel Ecalla demonstrated how the cookstove operates.

   “Mas matipid ito kesa ibang lutuan lalo na ng gamit ang LPG at walang usok sa loob ng bahay,” said Ecalla who was cooking rice, adding “pulot-pulot lang ng maliliit na kahoy, pwede ng magluto.”

   There are three types of the biomass cookstove invented by Lacayanga – made of plain G. I. sheet at P1,2000; made of concrete at P900 – P1,000 and combination of clay and plain G. I. sheet at P550 a unit.