The Department of Environment and Natural Resources recognized a Negrense businessman and inventor for his help in mitigating the oil spill in the waters of Oriental Mindoro during the “Para sa Bayan: DENR’s Milestones and Pathways to Environmental Sustainability” rites at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, on Monday, July 31.
Ramon Uy Sr., RU Foundry president, was one of the individuals and organizations in the country given special awards for being “DENR Partners in Environmental Sustainability and Resilience”.
Using the “coconut boom” technology made of coconut husks, Uy led in creating a tool to help absorb the oil spill at sea.
The MT Princess Empress sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, on February 28 causing an oil spill at sea affecting the provinces of Antique, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan.
After the incident, Uy’s team went to Oriental Mindoro from March to April, bringing his technology to decorticate fibers from coconut husks.
These coconut fibers were collected and coiled into a net, then placed at sea to help absorb the oil spill from the marine vessel.
Uy told DIGICAST NEGROS the award seemed like “double compensation” to him as helping the community affected by the oil spill was already a win.
The award, which was also given to recognize the agency’s partners in making environmental milestones, was given to Uy by Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga.
Uy also said that aside from the decortication of coconut husks, they also gave food for work to a community in Mindoro affected by the oil spill and turned over bags of rice to assist them.
They also taught the community how to create organic fertilizer from the biodegradable materials available in their surroundings, he added.*