October 9, 2007 (Biofuel Review) – The Phillipines’ Department of Agriculture, has signed a Memorandum of Association (MOA) with the Indian company, Praj Industries, to promote energy crops and technology for biofuels production in Philippines. The MOA was signed during the visit of the Philippines President, H.E. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to India this week (8th October).The Government of Philippines has mandated 5% blending of biofuels in all transport fuel sold in the country and is keen to increase the blending limits. It is also an effort to promote local feedstock including sugarcane, cassava (bioethanol), coconut palm oil (biodiesel)and new energy crops like Sweet Sorghum for bioethanol and Jatropha for biodiesel.
In a meeting with the President of Philippines, Shashank Inamdar, Managing Director and CEO, Praj, briefing the President on the role of Praj in Philippines said ” We are proud to be associated with the Philippines biofuels program. Our plant will supply the first ethanol fuel to support the Philippines biofuels program”.
Asia Cleantech 
thumbs up for my president, gloria macapagal aroyo! i always thought that forming an alliance with the leader is the best route to take. i believe the Indian company is the leader in the field of biofuel production in the growing stage at least (extraction and refinary are the other two stages in biodiesel production). this strategy saves a lot of time and effort for the philippines since we need not walk through the process ourselves and since the praj company has been kind enough to share their notes to us, thumbs up for the indian company as well.
yeah! thumbs up for the both of them—PGMA for her vision and keeping an open eye to energy and environment, and Praj for their ready helping hand with their proven technologies.
By the way, Praj have supplied the first bioethanol plant in the Philippines that would be operational in Feb-March 2008. It is for Leyte Agri Corp., in Ormoc City.
It is the first step (altho admittedly a small one…) for the Philippines’ goal for partial independence from fossil fuels.
Philippines should slow down and move not too fast for the new energy cop of Jatropha curcas.
Currently all are promoting the Jatropha plantation without knowing the actual result.
it will not be too late to start after soem plantation would perform the productivity as expect 9Only maximum one year to have the result).
To divert all direction to this new unseen commercial crop in full speed is more or less driving the car with too high speed in teh heavy flock
To enlarge after getting some positive result will be faater than to destroy all the plantation if they would bot be as high expectation for this unseed commercial crop