Group urges policymakers to promote biodiesel for sustainable energy

The Philippine Biodiesel Association (TPBA) on Tuesday called on policymakers to highlight the importance of biodiesel in achieving a more sustainable energy environment.

Earlier, TPBA proposed changes to Republic Act No. 9367, or the Biofuels Act of 2006, which should be evaluated properly and “with a complete understanding of its wider implications.”

''TPBA recognizes that biodiesel is a strategic national tool—one that strengthens rural livelihoods, protects public health, and supports (Energy) Secretary (Sharon) Garin’s vision for a cleaner, more secure, and more sustainable Philippine energy future,'' the group’s statement said.

''Weakening the mandate, the association stressed, jeopardizes not just an industry, but the country’s long-term economic and environmental trajectory,'' it added. 

According to Ramon Taniola, executive director of TPBA, ''protecting biodiesel means protecting the health of every Filipino.''

The group stressed that House Bill 4151 is more about people and not limited to just fuel. 

Under the bill, coco-biodiesel blending may be suspended when blended diesel becomes five percent more expensive than pure diesel, noting that the ''blended diesel can be at parity or even cheaper, and when there is a gap, its 6–10% improved mileage more than offsets it.''

TPBA said HB 4151 affects millions of farmers and rural families who depend on the coconut industry, as well as every Filipino whose health, air quality, and future are shaped by cleaner fuel standards.

''When you remove stability from the coconut market, you don’t just affect companies—you affect families, entire communities, and 25 million Filipinos whose livelihoods depend on coconuts,” Taniola said.

“The biodiesel mandate is the bridge between today’s rural incomes and tomorrow’s modern coconut economy. HB 4151 puts that bridge at risk,” he added. —RF, GMA Integrated News