SOCIAL ENTERPRISE NETWORK
NO HOLDS BARRED (049) January 10, 2010
By Ike Señeres
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE NETWORK
I like 3-in-1 combinations, and this is the reason why I was so thrilled to come across a technology that would not only provide affordable housing, it would also clean the environment and create livelihood. Architect Resty Rosales is not yet a CNN hero, but I think he is close to that already, after the government of Equatorial Guinea has asked him to bring his invention to that African country.
When I met Resty, it did not take me too long to realize that his technology is the missing link that I have been looking for, the “killer app” that could speed up the local implementation of Human Development Index (HDI) programs pertaining to the reduction of poverty, illiteracy and mortality. That’s right, it does not only have 3-in-1 benefits--the invention could also potentially address the three HDI challenges in one swoop.
Resty’s invention utilizes a commercially available fiber cement board, but that is not where his genius lies. To cut a long story short, he has developed a method of mixing shredded recycled plastic with cement, in effect using this mix as fillers in between the cement boards. As a result, the finished walls or panels are sturdier, due perhaps to the fibrous nature of the plastic.
Proving himself to be a good organizer as well, Resty has mobilized the young people from his hometown in Marinduque to go around once a week in motorcycles to do clean up drives, picking up waste plastic, in effect making it a way to collect materials for low cost community oriented construction projects such as a school building and a health center.
By his own estimate, Resty says that he could build houses at half the price of commercially built designs, using community labor to assemble his projects. Yes, his houses are designed like Lego blocks, easy enough to be assembled by anyone in the community who is willing to help.
Taking off from another angle, Rotarian Ronald Yap of Quezon City is refurbishing used shipping containers into homes and offices that are very reasonably priced. Although his buildings are meant to be for temporary use, these are built to last for a long time.
Businessman Ed Manuel is in the business of building yachts and luxury boats, but his enterprising spirit has recently taken him in the direction of building floating homes. His designs like houses, but are fully functional as boats. One prototype model is already on display near the Yacht Club.
Dr. Hernando Delizo is both a medical doctor and a businessman. Armed with an MD and an MBA, he has built a conglomerate of health oriented businesses, all of which are bound by the common objective of providing access to affordable health care.
Resty, Ronald, Ed and Hernando are the first four businessmen who have responded to my invitation to form a Social Enterprise Network (SEN), a consortium of service providers who all have their own missions in corporate social responsibility (CSR). All have agreed to make their products and services more affordable, in order to help in increasing access to public services in line with the HDI goals.
The products of Ronald and Ed are good for quick deployment. Upon receipt of an order, they could right away deploy mobile (Ronald) and floating (Ed) structures that could immediately be used as classrooms or clinics as the case may be. While these temporary structures are being used, Resty could already start building the permanent structures. Once the fixed structures are done, the mobile and floating units could already be pulled out.
As his contribution to this joint effort, Hernando has agreed to provide the management of the health clinics, always making it affordable for the patients from the local communities. He happens to be the principal owner of Clinica Manila and Perpetual Help Hospital Manila, among others.
Social entrepreneurs are still in the business of making money, but they believe that as they do that, they could help by going out of their way to make local communities gain easier and faster access to their products and services, often by way of extending easier credit or more discounted terms. This is the essence of SEN, and I hope to invite more socially conscious businessmen to join the network in the coming months.
Watch my business show 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in Global News Network (GNN), Channel 21 in Destiny Cable. Email iseneres@yahoo.com or text +639293605140 for local cable listings. Visit senseneres@blogspot.com
By Ike Señeres
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE NETWORK
I like 3-in-1 combinations, and this is the reason why I was so thrilled to come across a technology that would not only provide affordable housing, it would also clean the environment and create livelihood. Architect Resty Rosales is not yet a CNN hero, but I think he is close to that already, after the government of Equatorial Guinea has asked him to bring his invention to that African country.
When I met Resty, it did not take me too long to realize that his technology is the missing link that I have been looking for, the “killer app” that could speed up the local implementation of Human Development Index (HDI) programs pertaining to the reduction of poverty, illiteracy and mortality. That’s right, it does not only have 3-in-1 benefits--the invention could also potentially address the three HDI challenges in one swoop.
Resty’s invention utilizes a commercially available fiber cement board, but that is not where his genius lies. To cut a long story short, he has developed a method of mixing shredded recycled plastic with cement, in effect using this mix as fillers in between the cement boards. As a result, the finished walls or panels are sturdier, due perhaps to the fibrous nature of the plastic.
Proving himself to be a good organizer as well, Resty has mobilized the young people from his hometown in Marinduque to go around once a week in motorcycles to do clean up drives, picking up waste plastic, in effect making it a way to collect materials for low cost community oriented construction projects such as a school building and a health center.
By his own estimate, Resty says that he could build houses at half the price of commercially built designs, using community labor to assemble his projects. Yes, his houses are designed like Lego blocks, easy enough to be assembled by anyone in the community who is willing to help.
Taking off from another angle, Rotarian Ronald Yap of Quezon City is refurbishing used shipping containers into homes and offices that are very reasonably priced. Although his buildings are meant to be for temporary use, these are built to last for a long time.
Businessman Ed Manuel is in the business of building yachts and luxury boats, but his enterprising spirit has recently taken him in the direction of building floating homes. His designs like houses, but are fully functional as boats. One prototype model is already on display near the Yacht Club.
Dr. Hernando Delizo is both a medical doctor and a businessman. Armed with an MD and an MBA, he has built a conglomerate of health oriented businesses, all of which are bound by the common objective of providing access to affordable health care.
Resty, Ronald, Ed and Hernando are the first four businessmen who have responded to my invitation to form a Social Enterprise Network (SEN), a consortium of service providers who all have their own missions in corporate social responsibility (CSR). All have agreed to make their products and services more affordable, in order to help in increasing access to public services in line with the HDI goals.
The products of Ronald and Ed are good for quick deployment. Upon receipt of an order, they could right away deploy mobile (Ronald) and floating (Ed) structures that could immediately be used as classrooms or clinics as the case may be. While these temporary structures are being used, Resty could already start building the permanent structures. Once the fixed structures are done, the mobile and floating units could already be pulled out.
As his contribution to this joint effort, Hernando has agreed to provide the management of the health clinics, always making it affordable for the patients from the local communities. He happens to be the principal owner of Clinica Manila and Perpetual Help Hospital Manila, among others.
Social entrepreneurs are still in the business of making money, but they believe that as they do that, they could help by going out of their way to make local communities gain easier and faster access to their products and services, often by way of extending easier credit or more discounted terms. This is the essence of SEN, and I hope to invite more socially conscious businessmen to join the network in the coming months.
Watch my business show 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in Global News Network (GNN), Channel 21 in Destiny Cable. Email iseneres@yahoo.com or text +639293605140 for local cable listings. Visit senseneres@blogspot.com
posted by Ike Señeres at 5:50 AM
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