Ambassador Romualdez (third from right) with the ACE Awardee (third from left) Rhizome Philippines Founder and Chief Product Officer David Sands | Photo courtesy of Philippine Embassy Washington DC
NEW YORK – Rizome, a Cagayan de Oro-based company, was among six recipients of this year’s Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) from the United States Department of State.
The 2024 ACE categories are Women’s Economic Security, Innovation to Strengthen Communities, and Climate Resilience.
Rizome received the ACE award for Climate Resilience for pioneering the use of engineered bamboo in the construction industry from its flagship project in the Philippines. According to the State Department, Rizome uses innovative technology to create a sustainable alternative to other construction materials while reforesting with fast-growing bamboo.
State Department Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Sarah Morgenthau said Rizome, through its innovation, has pushed the construction sector “towards more carbon neutral practices and a more sustainable future.”
Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, who witnessed the award ceremony, congratulated Rizome Founder and Chief Product Officer David Sands for leading the way in manufacturing eco-friendly bamboo building materials that serve as alternatives to traditional cement and steel. Rizome makes bamboo slats, veneers, panels, laminated veneer lumber, and laminated strand lumber.
The Philippine bamboo is a significant national symbol that underscores the Filipino spirit of resilience, as demonstrated by its resilient, durable, and flexible attributes.
This year, the ACE celebrates 25 years since its founding. Over the years, it has highlighted how American businesses have raised the bar of corporate social responsibility and utilized innovative tools and technologies to impact the world around them positively.
Philippine businesses have previously received the ACE award. In 2014, Coca-Cola was recognized for Disaster Relief using its distribution network. Then, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, Catherine Novelli presented the award to then-Executive Vice President and President of Coca-Cola International Ahmet C. Bozer.
In 2016, Interface Inc. was recognized for Sustainable Oceans Management. Interface/Net-works is the world’s first inclusive business model to recycle discarded fishing nets made in the Philippines.
–-With Jay Domingo/PDM
