Issue No. 2 (2006)

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

1. The Department of Energy is poised to press Congress to pass into law -- the Bio Fuels and Renewable Energy bills - seen to cut the Philippines' dependence
on imported crude.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/july/24/yehey/business/20060724bus1.html

2. Philippine Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla proposed a more focused regional collaboration within ASEAN to accelerate development and utilization
of alternative fuels in order to minimize the effects of continuous increases in prices of imported and conventional energy as well as to address climate
change concerns.
http://www.pia.gov.ph/news.asp?fi=p060801.htm&no=54

3. Land Transportation Office continues to implement rules of the Clean Air Act and apprehend erring drivers and vehicles amidst the private emission-testing
centers controversy. Their campaign against smoke belchers recently got a much-needed shot in the arm after the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) donated a new set of equipment for the program.
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/08/03/MTNN2006080370834.html
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?page=news&id=8722&sid=3&urldate=2006-08-03

4. Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. promised to work for the immediate passing of the biofuels bill in the Senate to mitigate the risk of continuing price
increases of crude oil triggered by the instabilities in the Middle East, the latest of which is the Lebanon crisis. "The urgency of passing this bill is
crucial to Filipinos who have been battered by successive oil price hikes," Revilla said.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?page=news&id=8720&sid=1&urldate=2006-08-03

BIOFUELS and ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

5. Oil refiner and retailer Petron Corp. had approved a P50.6-million supplemental budget for "autogas," a program to produce liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG) for transport, for the remainder of 2006. The company told the stock exchange that its AutoLPG Program for 2006 was in support of the "environmental
policies of the government for cleaner fuels."
http://business.inq7.net/money/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=13192

6. The government is expected to develop 2,000 hectares of land for coconut and jathropa in Columbio town and three other localities in Sultan Kudarat province
to boost the government's biofuel development program in Central Mindanao.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200608019903.htm

7. Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. is in talks with some Malaysian and Thai contractors for possible deals over the construction of a mother-daughter
refilling facility for compressed natural gas (CNG) in Batangas province.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/aug/07/yehey/business/20060807bus12.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY

8. The Philippine Rice Research Institute in Nueva Ecija, in partnership with the ASEAN Center for Energy and the European Communities ASEAN Energy Facility,
are now working to develop a technology to use rice husks as a viable source of energy.
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/08/05/OPED2006080570990.html

9. Filipino-owned 3i Powergen Inc. is investing P1.45 billion in three wind power projects to produce 30.3 megawatts of power to energize three islands in
the Visayas, according to Board of Investments.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/aug07/busi3.htm

10. "To save dollars, windmills in Batanes and Ilocos Norte turn megawinds into megawatts," the President said in her State of the Nation Address. The 15 wind
turbines of Southeast Asia's first wind farm, along Bangui Bay, now generates 24 percent of Ilocos Norte's electricity cutting residents' bills by 7 percent.
When completed, nearly half the province's electricity needs would come from wind. All these in a world girding for $100-a-barrel of oil.
http://opinion.inq7.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=12740

TRANSPORT

11. The Light Rail Transit Authority considers a private initiative to fund the LRT 2 southward and eastward extension project with two groups of local
investors expressing interest in providing financial muscle.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/aug/04/yehey/business/20060804bus1.html

12. The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board and the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association (PNTOA) both believe that the conversion of
taxis from gasoline to liquefied petroleum gas-using vehicles will help make the taxi business more profitable.
http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=13820

13. Electric bikes, now a popular means of transport in China replacing the good old bicycle, have arrived in the Philippines, ready to serve Filipino riders in
short trips around the neighborhood.
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/08/05/I2006080571038.html

14. An independent survey carried out by the Ecology Center in Detroit shows that the interiors of Volvo's cars emit lower levels of toxic substances than
other car makes. The Ecology Center recently presented a study (Toxic at Any Speed: Chemicals in Cars and the Need for Safe Alternatives) of the toxic
chemicals used in building car interiors.
http://ruby.inq7.net/roadtrip/display.php?fld=newsflash/2006/mar&art=0308news5.php

15. Ethanol-powered Ford Focus: Race worthy Ford Group Philippines held a test drive cum autocross event recently using the Flex-Fuel vehicle, the Ford Focus.
TV and movie celebrities were pitted against media personalities in a time-trial event to prove that their ethanol-powered vehicle is not only
environmentally-friendly but race worthy as well.
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/08/05/MTRG2006080571044.html

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

16. The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (MCCI) in Cebu celebrates this year's business month with the theme "Building Entrepreneurs by
Strengthening the Base." A mass transport system project for Mandaue City will be discussed in one of the fora.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2006/08/04/bus/
businesses.launch.program.to.back.mandaue.s.projects.html

17. Some 5,000 people trooped to the Davao Convention and Trade Center to show their support for the Green Philippine Highways Project.
http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV2006080771155.html

18. Aware of the rising cost of oil in the world market, the local government of Bayawan City in Western Visayas held first Biofuels Lecture and Demonstration.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dum/2006/08/03/life/1st.biofuels.lecture.and.demonstration.html

19. It is still the same old trusted and culture-laden tricycle, but now a no smoke-belching machine as Tagbilaran City phases-out 2-stroke tricycles.
http://www.pia.gov.ph/news.asp?fi=p060804.htm&no=72

20. Jeepney drivers and operators plying the Mandaue-Cebu City routes went to court in a bid to stop the crackdown on public utility jeepneys (PUJ) that
enter Cebu City beyond two designated terminals. They filed a petition for injunction and demanded Php 820,000 in damages. The court was asked to issue a
restraining order against the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) and the Traffic Police Group (TPG) from any further seizure and impounding of
the vehicles.
http://globalnation.inq7.net/cebudailynews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=13884

Issue No. 1 (2006)

GENERAL NEWS

1.The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), through its National Committee on Legal Aid and its National Environmental Action Team, launched barely three months ago the "Take-A-Pic-4-Clean Air" program, which is shooting smoke belchers not with guns but with cameras. The pro-heath and pro-environment project, being conducted in cooperation with the Association of Metro Manila Anti-Smoke Belching Units and the Partnership for Clean Air, aims to compel all private motorists and operators of public transports to comply with the country's prevailing emission standards.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pam/2006/07/18/oped/jun.a..malig.cognition.html

2. It's still "premature" to make comparative assessment on the environmental practices of eight Southeast Asian countries, but the Philippines appears to be "way ahead" in the aspect of environmental legislation.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2006/07/27/news/rp.leads.in.environment.laws..html

3. Tricycles that have become part of the Filipino way of life and culture are here to stay following the conduct of the first national conference on tricycle transportation development
http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=7689

4. LRT 1 will get 12 new trains
The Light Rail Transit Line 1 will get 12 new trains before the year ends to meet the mass transit's increasing passenger volume, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) said Tuesday.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=44121

5. Newspaper columnist Conrado de Quiros talks about putting dedicated lanes for motorcycles, tricycles and bicycles as a solution to Metro Manila traffic.
http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=79871&col=77

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

6. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will launch "Green Philippine Highways," a massive tree planting on August 25 which will simultaneously take place along the country's three major highways, covering a total length of 3,439 kilometers.
http://www.denr.gov.ph/article/view/3935/

7. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Angelo Reyes yesterday issued a stern warning against private emission testing centers (PETC) that their accreditation would be cancelled and charges would be filed against them once caught issuing spurious certificate of compliance (COC) to motorists.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?page=news&id=6520&sid=1&urldate=2006-07-10

8. The Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR), whose main task it is to maintain clean air, has adopted the strategy of making the children appreciate the value of clean air and how to help protect it.
http://www.pia.gov.ph/news.asp?fi=p060607.htm&no=31

9. DoTC, Austria sign pact to develop rail industry
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) and the Federal Ministry for Transportation, Innovation, and Technology of the Republic of Austria yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signifying Austria's intention to help the Philippine government develop its rail industry.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MTNN2006072169752.html

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

10. The Canada-based International Council for Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI) has lauded the Iloilo City Local Government for its anti-air pollution campaign.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2006/07/10/oped/alain.russ.dimzon.routes.html

11. Taking a cue from the Marikina City government on using coco-biodiesel, three more local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila, specifically Quezon City, Malabon, Navotas, have responded to the call of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to use clean alternative fuel as mandated by the Clean Air Act of 1999.
http://www.denr.gov.ph/article/view/3882/1/39

12. The Makati City government is showing no letup in its campaign against smoke belchers.
http://specials.inq7.net/theenvironmentreport/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=8674

13. Marikina motorists are urged to use biofuel. The City Council has passed a resolution "strongly encouraging" motorists in Marikina to use biofuel like coco-diesel and ethanol.
http://specials.inq7.net/theenvironmentreport/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=7840

POLICY

14. Senator Edgardo J. Angara yesterday cited the alleged oil companies'
lobby against the use of ethanol and coco bio-diesel as "narrow-
mindedness" and "short-sightedness".
http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2006/0703_angara1.asp