A committee under the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) is pushing for a higher biodiesel blend that could improve vehicle mileage and cushion the impact of surging fuel prices amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, the Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote.
The PCAF’s National Sectoral Committee (NSC) on Coconut had approved a manifesto supporting the full implementation of Republic Act No 9367, or the Biofuels Act of 2006, and an immediate transition to a 5% (B5) biodiesel blend, the 15 March report said.
According to the committee, raising the coconut component in diesel would reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel and provide a stable market for millions of Filipino coconut farmers.
“Although not a ‘quick fix’ for the high gas prices the country is currently facing, the full implementation of biofuel and B5 transition offers superior engine performance, better mileage and a more self-reliant energy sector that reduces long-term costs,” said the PCAF, a Department of Agriculture agency that serves as the bridge between the government and the private sector.
Dean Lao Jr, vice chair of the United Coconut Association of the Philippines, said the increased biodiesel blend could improve vehicle mileage.
“When the blend was increased from B2 (2%) to B3 (3%), there [was] an improvement … I would estimate a mileage gain of at least 3%,” Lao told the Inquirer.
Lao said the higher blend would also contribute to a reduction in road emissions.
Last year, against a backdrop of surging global coconut oil prices, the Department of Energy (DOE) acted on a recommendation by the National Biofuels Board (NBB) to defer higher biodiesel blends of 4% that had been scheduled for October 2025 and 5% that had been scheduled for implementation this year, the Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote.
At the time of the report, the coco methyl ester (CME) component in diesel in the country remained at 3%, which took effect on 1 October 2024.
