Philippines to increase funds for alternative fuels

The Philippine government is raising its planned spending for the country’s alternative fuels program in 2009, with the bulk going to biofuels development. Juan Miguel Zubiri, chairman of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement and the main author of the biofuels bill, said the government has allocated Php49.1 billion (US$1.05 billion) to develop alternative fuels. Of the total budget, the share of biofuels was pegged at Php25.6 billion (US$545.6 million), higher by about a fifth from its budget last year. The Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport will get Php8.7 billion (US$185.4 million) of the total budget, the Auto-LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) for Vehicles Program another Php4.4 billion (US$93.8 million), and the Hydrogen Development Program, Php10.4 billion (US$221.6 million). (September 9, 2008)