Ducky Paredes

Malaya (12.29.06)

“The Biofuels Act of 2006 has opened up a whole new industry that could put new life in our agriculture sector and the rural economy besides cutting down on our oil importation and, consequently, our dollar payments to foreign oil producers.”

Bioethanol and Coco Methyl Ester

by Ducky Paredes

Looking forward to the New Year, what looks like it could get to be a very good thing is biofuel.
Aside from hydroelectric and geothermal, prior advances in the field of energy have always been dependent on imports. With the passage of the Bio-fuels Act of 2006, however, biofuel may be the wave the future.
This is one area where both government and private enterprise are enthusiastically creating and pursuing initiatives and working together to develop the industry.
Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla cites incentives for the production, distribution and use of local biofuels: exemption from specific tax and VAT and ready financial assistance from government financial institutions.
Besides that, there is also the possibility of developing an export trade.
Chemrez Technologies, Inc., which has embarked on the production of coco methyl ester, is optimistic that it can develop a Japan market for itself. Consider that in Japan, the mandated blend for diesel is already at five percent (5%). The Japanese demand for the diesel blender would already be potentially as much as five times that of the Philippines that starts off this year with just a one percent (1%) blend, doubling that to two percent (2%) within two years. And, there are more vehicles in Japan. Thus, Chemrez is investing in further expanding its production facilities.
Seaoil Petroleum Corporation, the first oil company to sell gasoline pre-blended with imported ethanol, now has concrete plans to establish an ethanol plant with a production capacity of at least 100,000 liters a day.
Flying V, another oil retailer, is planning a one billion-peso ethanol plant and developing its own sugarcane plantations.
There is news of several Filipino businessmen getting together on a P15 billion biodiesel project. They are applying to the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for help in funding their project. As we hear it, the JBIC has already approved funding for a six-month feasibility study. Should this prove successful, the proponent, Bio-Energy, NL, Inc. will plant coconuts on 500,000 hectares of what is now idle land in Northern Luzon. The proposed capacity will be 300,000 liters of biodiesel annually. Why North Luzon? Tobacco as an agricultural venture has been losing its luster due to worldwide health concerns about the hazards of smoking. Thus, the production of leaf tobacco in North Luzon has also been affected and has been slowing down. By embracing biofuels, North Luzon may find itself in a new sunrise industry even as tobacco goes into its sunset.
Five banks, led by the Development Bank of the Philippines has approved a syndicated term loan agreement for P1.78 billion to finance San Carlos Bioenergy, Inc. as an integrated bioethanol and cogeneration power plant. This will be the first bioethanol fuel distillery in the country and will have a capacity of 125,000 liters of ethanol daily. This translates to 35 to 39 million liters of fuel grade bioethanol annually.
The Biofuels Act of 2006 has opened up a whole new industry that could put new life in our agriculture sector and the rural economy besides cutting down on our oil importation and, consequently, our dollar payments to foreign oil producers.
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While the Paredes family is the known family by the country as far as Abra politics is concerned, this is only because of Quintin Paredes cut such a wide swath in the national life of this nation. The reality is that the big political family in Abra has always been the Valeras. (In Quintin’s time, the Paredeses went for the national offices and the Valeras controlled the local offices.)
I am both. My great grandmother was Alejandra Valera who was married to Lucas, the kuya of Quintin who was second to the youngest of the children of Kapitan Juan Paredes. Thus, my siblings and I have Paredes and Valera cousins from my father’s side of the family.
Governor Vicente Valera had nothing to do with the killing of Congressman Luis Bersamin. I am very sure of this and am morally certain of what I write. Both are related to us on the Valera side. The governor’s mother is the cousin of my grandfather from being the daughter of Quintin. Vicsyd and I call each other “primo” although he is actually a cousin of my father. Our relation to the late congressman is a bit further removed but we are all relatives, still.
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The Federation of Philippine Amateur Senior Golfers, Inc. (FPASGI) the largest grouping of Senior Golfers in the country holds its year-end tournament on Friday, December 29, 2006 at the Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club.
This will have a shotgun tee-off at exactly 7:00 a.m. FPASGI members who will play elsewhere on that day can still join the festivities by coming in at 1:00 p.m. for a late lunch and the awarding of prizes together with a grand raffle. The tradition of the FPASGI year-end tournament is that all participants (and those joining us for lunch) take home a raffle prize.
If you are a member of the Philippine Amateur Senior Golfers, Inc. (FPASGI), do come to Wack-Wack on that day. There are limited slots for those who will play golf but the rest are welcome to join our year-end celebration.
The Capitol Senior Golfers, Inc. is organizing the tournament, which this year is in memory of the late Abe Villanueva, who died this year and was, at the time of his death, Capitol Hills Golf and Country Club Director and FPASGI President.
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Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com,/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

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hvp (12.27.06)

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