SEDP is an offshoot of a tripartite agreement forged in Jan. 2004 by the USAID, the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) and the Philippines’ Department of Energy (DOE). Among the alternative fuels to be promoted include coco-diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG) and fuel ethanol.
One of the projects is the Alternative Fuels Launch (AFL), which highlighted the introduction of the program’s interactive website www.sedp.ph that contains frequently asked questions on alternative fuels and information about the Philippines Clean Cities Program (PCCP). PCCP is currently being implemented in the cities of Baguio, Davao and Marikina, and soon in Boracay.
The AFL also included the unveiling of a 30-second public service advertisement or infomercial on alternative fuels and a 10-minute video presentation on CNG. The video will be shown onboard the nearly 200 CNG-powered buses due to arrive in the Philippines within the year.
To further the advocacy for cleaner fuels, SEDP also formally launched the Fuels for Life Movement (F4L), composed of government agencies, private corporations, organizations, celebrities and individuals committed to cleaning the air through the use of indigenous fuels for transport.
The F4L is seen to lead the move to popularize the benefits of using alternative fuels for transportation as a means of solving the universal problem of air pollution.
Leading the F4L public sector partners are the DOE, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippine Coconut Authority, the Development Bank of the Philippines and representatives from the local government units (LGUs) of PCCP’s pilot areas.
The private sector partners, on the other hand, include new oil players Seaoil Philippines and Flying V; biodiesel manufacturers Chemrez and Senbel; Energy Food and Drinks; The Tea Square; the Yuchengco-owned Philippine Integrated Advertising Agency and Zexel Bosch Group.
SEDP country director Divina Chingcuanco said they expect to sustain the private sector participation in the utilization of alternative fuels even after the end of the program in Sept. 2006.
"We are trying to solicit the advocacy of the media, the academe and LGUs to sustain the SEDP’s objective of promoting the use of alternative fuels," she said. "It takes time to reap the benefits of this program. So we have to educate our children about the importance of keeping the environment clean by using alternative fuels."