Politician urges suspension of Philippine biofuel program

Senator Rodolfo G. Biazon called for the suspension of the implementation of the Biofuels Act until such time that the Philippines is assured of self-sufficiency in rice. Biazon made the recommendation, citing “the present food crisis or shortage that led to a skyrocketing of the price of food globally. “There are indicators of the emergence of ARPEC (Association of Rice Producing and Exporting Countries) behaving like the OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries),” he said. “Situations such as what we are facing today dictate that the country needs to achieve self-sufficiency in its requirement for rice and reduce our vulnerability to global food shortages in the future. I support our intention to develop alternative sources of energy to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuels such as the biofuels. The implementation, however, of the Biofuels Act of 2006 requires large areas of land and other resources for the planting of raw materials for biofuels that may compete for badly needed land to address the country’s need for rice self-sufficiency,” Biazon concluded. (May 1, 2008)