Perez pushes ethanol bill

Former Energy Secretary Vincent S. Perez will urge Malacañang to push for the passage of the bio-ethanol bill in Congress.

"As soon as the final committee report is finalized, I would personally recommend to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to certify the ethanol bill as urgent. I have earlier discussed with the President the importance of promoting ethanol as a fuel blend in our country, and she views alternative fuels as a key component in our drive towards energy independence," said Perez, who resigned from his post last March and now seats as a director in Philippine National Bank (PNB).

Perez also welcomed the speedy deliberations in Congress of the critical renewable energy-related legislations.

"I commend the House Committee on Ways and Means, led by Rep. Jesli Lapus, for expeditiously approving the bio-ethanol bill in only one hearing last Tuesday. I also look forward to a speedy deliberation by the House Committee on Appropriations," he said.

Perez has long been a major advocate of renewable energy and has been actively promoting the use of renewable alternative transport fuels such as coco-methyl ester and ethanol.

"I would like to commend Rep. Miguel Zubiri, vice chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, for his passion in promoting clean bio-fuels in this country. I also thank House Committee on Energy chairman Rep. Alipio Badelles for his equally strong support to this bill."

"At current prices in the world oil markets, it is cheaper to find a replacement for gasoline than to buy gasoline," Perez said. "Why buy expensive imported petroleum when we can develop and substitute it with cheaper, indigenous and clean ethanol using our domestic sugar production."

Ethanol is an alternative fuel produced from crops such as sugar, corn, cassava, sorghum, soy and other agricultural feedstock. It can be used as a blend to gasoline, as a component of reformulated gasoline, or as a primary fuel with gasoline as blend.

Bills have been filed in Congress to provide the necessary framework for the promotion and use of ethyl alcohol or ethanol as alternative transport fuel. The bills will prescribe the use of five percent blend of ethanol in the second year of implementation and, eventually, increase to 10 percent in the fourth year.

The program, which will introduce nationwide production of ethanol from sugarcane, corn and cassava, is seen to positively impact on the Philippine agriculture sector as this will generate employment and open another window of opportunity for the advancement of the country in agricultural engineering and technology.