Arroyo: Convening LEDAC will hasten passage of key measures

NANNING CITY (via PLDT/Smart) — President Arroyo expressed hope yesterday that both houses of Congress would patch things up and act immediately on vital measures, particularly the biofuels bill whose passage is expected to draw Chinese investments into the local fuel industry.

Mrs. Arroyo said convening the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council or Ledac may help facilitate the approval of key measures as well as ease the political tension sparked by the Charter-change issue.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have passed their own versions of the biofuels bill after much delay.

A bicameral conference committee will still have to be convened to reconcile both versions.

One of the potential Chinese investors in the biofuel industry is the China CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd., which entered into separate agreements with the B.M. SB Integrated Biofuels Co., the Negros Southern Integrated Biofuels Co. and the Zamboanga del Norte Bioenergy Corp.

"A final contract will be prepared for signing by the authorized representatives of both parties within December 2006, when the bioethanol bill is expected to be approved by Congress and the Office of the President," the agreements read.

Mrs. Arroyo said she would raise this issue "in the next LEDAC." Mrs. Arroyo is also pushing for other legislated energy measures. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said Chinese firm BSBM plans to put up a 120,000-liter per day ethanol plant and another one with a daily capacity of 150,000 liters for the two other Filipino companies.

He said 10,000 to 12,000 hectares of land may be developed for the projects.

The priority bills of the executive department are casualties of the continuing bickering between the executive and legislative branches of government over issues like the anti-terrorism bill and the re-enactment of the 2006 budget.

Congress only passed a supplemental budget of more than P46 billion for this year.

The proposed Biofuels Act of 2006 mandates the blending of ethanol, coco methyl ester (CME) and similar non-fossil fuel derivatives in fuels.

The Palace believes the passage of the bill will lessen the country’s dependence on fossil fuel as well as help clean the environment.