TOTI Eco. A Revolution in Transportation.

Welcome to Tabontabon Organic Transport Industry [TOTI]

OUR STORY
Where is Tabontabon?
Tabontabon is a fifth-class municipality, located about 30 kilometers south of Tacloban City in the province of Leyte, Philippines. Tabontabon is home to 10,000 people with about 1,500 households. 90% of the population have rice farms as their main source of income. The town is the center of six other municipalities: Dagami, Dulag, Tanauan, Tolosa, Julita, and Burauen.

The Current Mode of Transporation
Motorcycles, locally referred to as habal-habal(please refer to the habal-habal photo album below), are the main form of transportation. It is one of the cheapest ways to travel; however, it does not necessarily mean it is the safest. Like in Metro Manila, motorcycle accidents happen frequently. Dogs that unexpectedly run across the street cause the motorcycle to brake suddenly and/or fall over. In addition, passengers do not wear helmets when riding. Comfort is also sacrificed in using the habal-habals . Sometimes, five or six people are riding on one motorcycle. If it is sunny, the passengers are uncomfortable. The same goes for when it is raining.

Where are the Jeepneys?
Jeepneys have been unsuccessful business ventures in the past. Before departure, jeepney drivers prefer to have a full load of passengers. However, Tabontabon is a small town and does not always have 20 people who all want go to Tacloban at the same time. Prospective passengers become frustrated at having to wait long to depart for Tacloban, so they choose to ride the habal-habals instead.

ECO Revolution
Taking all of these factors into account, Rustico Balderian, municipal mayor of Tabontabon, decided to design and build a vehicle to become the main mode of transport. However, he felt the vehicle should meet the following 4 criteria: low-cost, fuel-efficient, safe, and environmentally-friendly, in order to compete with the habal-habal.

Important Points to Keep in Mind About a Bamboo Car vs. Vehicles of Steel
-Our bamboo cars run 100% on coco-biodiesel.
-90% made of bamboo.
-Bamboo is indigenous & renewable.
-Bamboo is stronger in tensile strength than steel.
-It takes 5 tons of ore to make 1 ton of steel plate.
-Consider the heat needed to process 5 tons of ore.
-Made by Tabontabon's Out-of-School Youth

ECO 1
ECO1 can seat 20 people including the driver. It can run on ONE gallon of Biodiesel fuel for 8 hours. It can climb more than 20% grade. It is covered in banig the Filipino woven mat.

ECO 2
ECO2 is made of bamboo, seats 8 passengers, and has a stereo with sound system. It also runs on one gallon of biodiesel fuel for 8 hours.

Future Models
Other models in production include another vehicle made of bamboo...including the chassis.