Albay engages in biofuel production; P2-M oil extraction facility to be set up
The biofuel project is in line with Senator Zubiri’s energy development program in the Senate, where the lawmaker is pushing to turn the Philippines into an energy self-sustaining country. Zubiri said a P2 million oil extraction facility will be established in Albay being the pilot area among the provinces in the country to implement the jetropa plantation program.
Zubiri said jetropa could initially produce in a year 77 million liters of biofuel, equivalent to P777 million income generation to the government. Under the MOA, the province would commit a vast hectares of land to be planted with jetropa and the UPLB will be in charge of providing seedlings while Zubiri would provide financial assistance to the project.
Salceda said the project would give an impact to the economy of the province and it would also cushion the ill effects of the global financial crisis specially in the agriculture sector. The provincial executive underscored the importance of the project to his advocacy program “Albay in Action on Climate Change” or A2C2. “The project would also lessen our dependency on imported fuel as we all know triggers price hike in the prices of basic commodities,” he explained.
At the MOA signing, he said the province would set up three nursery stations for jetropa. Salceda said he would scout for at least 400 hectares of land to be planted to jetropa in the towns of Polangui, Libon, Oas, Manito and Pio Duran and in the cities of Legazpi, Ligao and Tabaco. Jetropa production in two years time could initially produce 1,000 liters of oil a day, the provincial agriculture office said. Some 30,000 farmers will directly be benefited by the program. (PNA)
