Meanwhile, President Arroyo ordered yesterday the mass production and distribution of a new cooking device that runs on oil harvested from plants.
In the presentation of samples of the Protos stove made by the Leyte State University, and the jatropha plants in Malacañang, Mrs. Arroyo said the mass production of the cooking device can bring down its cost to make it affordable to the poor.
"We will support the mass production and distribution of this cooking oil in 18 hotspots in the country to benefit those living in urban poor areas," she said.
Mrs. Arroyo said Leyte State should fast-track the production of Protos, which can run on jatropha oil among other plant-based oil products, to help Filipino consumers.
The Leyte State University is pioneering the production of Protos, which is manufactured by German firms Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group.
Mrs. Arroyo said while the introductory price of P2,000 may be considered prohibitive, mass production will eventually lower the price of the stove.
Neri said the country imports about $7 billion worth of oil and petroleum products, 25 percent of which is diesel.
The use of fuels derived from the jatropha — locally known as tuba-tuba or tubang-bakod by Filipino consumers — can save the country at between $1.5 billion to $2 billion annually, he added.
Mrs. Arroyo also ordered the immediate release of P500 million for the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) for the planting of jatropha, especially on idle government lands and military camps.
The PNOC and the Armed Forces have already signed an agreement for the conversion of idle lands in military camps to jatropha plantations.
Another P500 million will be sourced from National Development Company for the mass production of jatropha cooking oil and jatropha methyl ester as an alternative fuel blend.
Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command chief, said 150 hectares have been allocated in military camps under his jurisdiction for the planting of jatropha.
The Camarines Sur provincial government has also set aside 10,000 hectares of land in the towns of Lagonoy, Caramoan, Presentacion, Pili, Calabanga and Sipocot to serve as jatropha farms.
About three tons of usable oil or an equivalent of 3,000 liters of diesel can be produced from one hectare of jatropha plants. — Paolo Romero