Nueva Vizcaya to propagate ‘petroleum trees’

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — In support of the national government’s drive for alternative sources of energy, this province has reserved an initial 30 hectares within the Lower Magat reforestation area in remote Diadi town for the propagation of hanga or so-called "petroleum tree."

The hanga plantation is part of the 500-hectare area which the provincial government will manage in partnership with the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), which will co-finance the multimillion-peso venture.

According to forester Roberto Apigo, provincial environment and natural resources officer, hanga, a plant species endemic to the Philippines and which thrives in the highlands of Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet and Mt. Province, is known to have the highest percentage of gasoline content among oil-producing tree or plant species.

In a report, the Benguet State University said blending even just 10 percent hanga oil with fossil fuels helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions to acceptable levels.

"This project, in the long run, will not only help address the demand for fuel, but will also prevent the depletion of our foreign currency as we will be no longer solely dependent on imported petroleum," Apigo said.

In addition, he said hanga extracts will also help preserve the environment by reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

According to Apigo, oil from the hanga plant, also known as green oil, bio-diesel or renewable oil, is obtainable from its fruit which has as much as 45 percent gasoline content, including heptane and dihydroterpene.

Scientifically known as Pittosporum resiniferum Hemsl, hanga is a big-sized tree with elongated leaves and a crown as wide as a mango tree.

Several multinational oil companies, according to Apigo, have shown interest in the development of hanga as an alternative source of fuel, and recommended that the Philippines re-green as much as 500,000 hectares of forest lands with the oil-producing species.

Besides hanga, the provincial government and the DENR have also set aside several hectares for the propagation of rattan, mango, lanzones, rambutan, mahogany and other fast-growing forest and fruit trees, all within the DENR-protected Lower Magat area, considered as the region’s watershed.

Apigo said discussions on the project’s financial requirements are ongoing among the three major proponents — the provincial government, the DENR and the DBP, represented by Dr. Rolando Metin and Aurora Maghirang, the government-owned bank’s senior environmental adviser and senior vice president, respectively.

Under the project proposal, the provincial government will provide the area for the tree plantation, including the 30 hectares exclusively for hanga propagation.

The provincial government and the DENR will also provide technical assistance and will help maintain the project.

For its part, the DBP will finance the propagation of rattan in 250 hectares of second-growth forests, mango trees in 100 hectares, lanzones trees in 40 hectares, and rambutan trees in 30 hectares.

Aside from this, the provincial government will embark on another 50-hectare reforestation project for tiger grass and neem trees, outside of the 500-hectare area.

Tiger grass is used in making soft brooms, which is a promising business for mountain dwellers in the towns of Santa Fe, Aritao, Kasibu and Kayapa, while the neem tree is known to be a rich source of environment-friendly insecticide.