GOLDEN SHELL AWARD

     Juboken Enterprises is an entrepreneurial venture born from the desire to provide economic opportunities for coconut farmers. Juboken president and CEO, Dr. Justino Arboleda was studying bio-engineering in Tokyo University when he developed an immense interest in finding unique solutions to environmental degradation.

     Going back to his roots in Bicol, he became involved in a study commissioned by the Asian Development Bank to determine the causes of poverty in Bicol. There, he discovered ways to transform coconut waste into a community-based livelihood program. Years of dabbling in bioengineering and research resulted in the development of an erosion control solution material that uses coconut waste products.

     The fact that no one believed in the promise of the technology developed prompted Dr. Arboleda to set on an entrepreneurial path. He resigned from the university to organize Juboken Enterprises to further develop and manufacture coco fiber erosion control materials.

     Through the DTI-GTZ project in 1996, the product was introduced in Germany, followed by Japan and Korea, then China. Now called geo-textiles, the product is biodegradable, durable and effective as an erosion control solution for different types of terrain such as riverbanks, shorelines, mangroves and steep slopes. Through the company's marketing partnership with Coco Technologies Corporation, demand for the products has increased tremendously.

     For contributing to environment conservation through the coconut fiber erosion control materials and installation services and providing an economic alternative to farmers dependent on coconut farming, the Rising Star Citation is given to Juboken Enterprises.