Advocacy group upbeat on passage of Biofuels Bill

The Philippine Biodiesel Association (TPBA), an advocacy group for the alternative fuel, has expressed optimism that the Senate, under the presidency of Sen. Manuel Villar, bodes well for the early passage of the Biofuels Bill.

The group said Villar, the principal author of the Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1999, is a known supporter of a clean and green environment.

"We are hopeful that Sen. Villar, an advocate of cleaner environment, will support the early passage of Senate Bill 2226 to complement the CAA," the group said.

CAA adheres to regulating air emissions of all kinds from both stationary and mobile sources, such as the transport sector.

The proposed Biofuels Bill, on the other hand, aims to mitigate air pollution, help alleviate the impact of spiraling world fuel prices, promote fuel independence through use of locally available fuel alternatives such as bioethanol and coco-biodiesel which, in turn, lend support for national agricultural initiatives and rural development.

Villar is one of the earliest proponents of coco-biodiesel or coconut methyl ester (CME), having called for its development as early as 2002 "to help uplift the country’s coconut industry while creating an alternative fuel source."

In February 2004, the Arroyo administration issued Memorandum Circular 55 mandating the blending of one percent CME in all government diesel requirements.

"Today, two years into the mandate, no adverse reports, only positive praises have been received," the group said.

In March 2006, the CAMPI (Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc.) issued its official acceptance of one percent CME blend for diesel which can be used immediately without retrofitting, laying to rest concerns raised about possible loss of car engine and fuel system warranties with CME use.

Recently, the National Power Corp. (Napocor) has released reports about "improvement in emission and reduction in fuel costs with the use of CME in diesel-fired generator sets, as much as 8.4-percent savings in fuel rate reduction having been officially recorded.

TPBA said this means that stationary sources are also benefiting greatly from the use of coco-biodiesel at one-percent blend in diesel.