It is never unusual for poultry and livestock farms to amass waste and stench, inviting swarms of flies and neighbors' woes. But Zamboanga Peninsula's Rockefeller Farm found a fix: turning wastes into power.
The Rockefeller Farm, a seven-hectare poultry and livestock farm in Dipolog City, now turns its accumulated waste into power through its established biogas digester facility.
Describing what the facility is, Lester Uy Ong, the owner, explained that the waste from more than 100,000 chickens and pigs housed in the farm is collected in their dug three-storey-deep pit, where microorganisms eat it up and help convert it into energy.
Select microorganisms break down the manure into simple molecules enough for other microbes to feast on, digesting these and eventually releasing gases such as methane, which is converted into electricity through their biogas generator.
When asked why they established a biogas digester facility, Heidi Ong, co-owner and wife of Lester, said two things: to reduce foul odor and swarming flies, and to have a sufficient power source.
"Magrereklamo yung neighbor mo sa langaw at amoy at alam naman natin in the future, mag-i-increase pa ang presyo ng kuryente," she reasoned.
Currently, Rockefeller Farm has one biogas generator capable of 300 kilovolt-amperes, which can power the whole farm for 15 hours, comparable to lighting up an entire rural barangay.
Before the establishment of the biogas facility, the farm spent about 900,000 pesos on electricity per month to power two buildings of chicken and pig housing, sorting facilities, and other maintenance costs.
"Kapag may biogas na generator, magiging free na ito o ma-minimize sa 40,000 o 50,000 pesos na babayaran pa," Lester said.
This has improved the production of Rockefeller Farm, which supplies poultry products and meat to local restaurants in Dipolog City, partners with distributors for major consumer brands, and reaches markets in nearby provinces in Zamboanga Peninsula as well as Dumaguete City and Cebu.
"Yung pinaproduce namin, hindi naman din ganun pa karami as of now. Kaya, in the future, we're planning to expand," they said.
Aside from their main supplies, the biogas digester facility also produces high-quality fertilizers, either used on their own farm or distributed to workers for their crops.
Moreover, the farm observes circular and sustainable practices, including treating wastewater for reuse in farm maintenance and animal waste disposal, aligned with Department of Environment and Natural Resources standards.
"Ang gusto ko is to share ito at gawin nating modern ang mga landfill. Kasi ang landfill, mas maraming mapo-produce na biogas yon," Lester said, affirming his willingness to help other communities leverage biogas.
He said that one landfill may produce electric power enough to light up five to 10 barangays.
"Pag na-execute yan, malaki itong tulong sa mga community near landfills," he emphasized.
The Department of Science and Technology aided in the upgrade of Rockefeller Farm through the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), providing five-million pesos of funding to acquire the biogas digester facility.
SETUP provides micro, small, and medium enterprises with zero-interest, refund-based funding for equipment acquisition, technical training, consultancy, and packaging improvement to boost productivity and market competitiveness.
About RSTW
The Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) is an annual event organized by the DOST regional offices across 17 regions. This celebration showcases local technologies, research and development (R&D) projects, and innovative initiatives that connect communities, local industries, and stakeholders with science-based solutions. These efforts promote inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development in the region. The RSTW is one of the major scientific events leading up to the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (NSTW) celebration, which will be held in General Santos City in November. For more information, visit www.dost.gov.ph or the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (NSTW) Facebook page.
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