Angara urges government to prioritize development of green technology for transport

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Edgardo Angara called on the government to prioritize the development of green technology for transport starting next year in order to minimize the country’s dependence on imported oil.

Angara, chairman of the Congressional Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), said that it is imperative for the government to develop electric vehicles and other “green transport” as among its priority projects related to S&T.

In a recent en banc meeting of the COMSTE held at the Senate, the flagship projects for 2011 were identified, including telehealth for remote areas, digital medical records, remote-sensing for agriculture, electric vehicles and green transport, disaster science, biotechnology for health and food security, and renewable energy systems.

Angara noted that a number of innovative green transport systems have already been developed such as electric tricycles, hybrid jeepneys and buses and electric bicycles.

He said that these have the potential to lessen pollution caused by conventional transportation and the dependency on fossil fuels.

“We import roughly 96 percent of our petroleum, the majority of which is consumed by the growing transport sector. This same sector accounts for the biggest share of the energy use, nearing 40 percent,” Angara said.

“It has long been one of the goals of the government to become energy independent. I believe that this can be achieved by promoting innovative projects that can reduce our foreign dependence on fuel and at the same time create a less-polluted, environmentally friendly cities,” he added.

Angara cited a recent study conducted by the Asian Development Bank, which showed that Metro Manila ranks high among the megacities of Asia that have air quality problems, with a level of suspended particulate matter (SPM) that is more than double the standard of the World Health Organization.

The Department Environment and Natural Resources has also identified that 70 percent of air pollution in Metro Manila originates from motor vehicles, which Angara said highlights the need for a cleaner mode of transport.

One of the existing green transport technologies, the bamboo electric bicycle, was presented during the COMSTE meeting as a lightweight and efficient mode of transport.

It weighs only 18 kilograms or three kilograms lighter than conventional electric bicycles.

The electric motor (200W, 36V-10A) and battery of the bicycle has a range of 30 kilometers on a five-hour charge when used over level ground.

Because the bamboo electric bicycle is a hybrid, electric power is used only for assisting the biker for uphill climbs or to get a boost of speed.