Clean diesel fuel, safe cooking gas

MANILA, Philippines - Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson tours a facility owned by Mapecon Green Charcoal in Alaminos, Laguna that turns water lilies clogging Laguna de Bay into clean diesel fuel, safe hydrogen cooking gas, fertilizer and active carbon, a rare mineral that is used to filter aquariums and refine gold in mining operations. (From left) Mapecon CEO Jun Catan, Singson, Delnet International CEO and Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF) trustee Klaas Oreel, PDRF executive director Butch Meily, and a member of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) pose before a 2-MGW hydrogen reactor that converts charcoal made from water lilies into clean diesel fuel that is then sold to bus and truck companies while the hydrogen gas is sold to restaurants. The Alaminos site also has a kiln or oven that produces the activated carbon while shredders chop up the water lilies which earthworms then chew up and turn into fertilizer. Singson said he hopes to use the technology invented by Catan to dispose of water lilies clogging waterways around the country, causing flooding. Also present during the visit (not in the picture) was LLDA general manager Neric Acosta. The PDRF is a group made up of private sector companies that assists in long-term recovery measures from disasters.