Total puts up 100th gas station in RP

Total (Philippines) Corp. (TPC), the local unit of the world’s fourth largest oil and gas company, reiterated yesterday its long-term commitment to do business in the Philippines as it completed the construction of its 100th retail gas station in the country.

 Anna Whitehouse, TPC president and managing director, told reporters during the inauguration of the station located along the West Service Road in Muntinlupa City, that the new outlet illustrates the growing success of the Total brand in the country.

At the same time, Whitehouse said they would continue building at least 16 stations per year depending on their ability to identify the appropriate locations for their service stations.

While the company does not have immediate plans to put up a refinery in the Philippines, Whitehouse said they would try to keep up with historical average of putting up about 16 stations a year and pouring in about P20 million per station. TPC accounts for at least three percent share of the Philippine oil industry market.

”The plan for the Philippines is to continue to grow the business as we are doing right now. The limitation is not at the side of growth — it’s coming from the difficulty to find good sites to build the station just right and to organize the business in an efficient manner,” the TPC official added.

TPC was incorporated in 1997 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the France-based Total. It is engaged in the importation, storage and distribution of fuels, oils, lubricants and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The company has 180 employees and has invested over $80 million in various infrastructures which include oil depots in Bataan and Manila and an LPG filling plant in Taguig City.

“We have invested over $80 million and we will continue our strategy of selective expansion in our various businesses, focusing on finding partners who share our passion for quality, safety and service,” Total’s refining and marketing director Michael Benezit said.

“In the years to come, “we see a bigger presence for Total in the Asia-Pacific region. Our company is well-positioned not just to ensure supply but also to assist with the development of other energy sources and alternative fuels. I believe that in Asia, the Philippines is a pioneer in these areas, particularly with the passage of the Biofuels Act, he said.”

“While Total adapts to the rapid but nonetheless exciting changes in the world of energy, we are assured that our business here in the Philippines is thriving, especially with a team that continues to impress me with their hard work, professionalism and passion for excellence,” the Total executive added.