Brainstorming energy problem via bio-ethanol

While thousands of public transport workers launched yesterday their so-called nationwide transport strike to protest escalating oil prices and to force the resignation of President Arroyo, a group of sugar farmers are rushing plans for an ethanol summit.

The "Bio-Ethanol and the Sugar Industry" dialog assumed urgency following the certification of the bill authored by Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon and by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel. Plus, of course, the escalating hike of oil price per barrel following Hurricane Katrina.

Even the European Union appealed to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to hold the price of oil to prevent further erosion of the world economic order. Simply put, even the most powerful industry nations are now feeling impending gloom should oil prices shoot up higher.

The ethanol summit has been scheduled for Sept. 29 at the Business In Hotel in Bacolod.

It is spearheaded by the University of the Philippines Los Baños Alumni Association, Negros Occidental Chapter. It is being supported by the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (Confed) Panay-Negros Chapter.

UPLB Alumni Association president Nehemias de la Cruz stressed the importance of discussing all the facets of the program and its implications for the sugar industry.

And, as pointed out by Luis Tongoy, chairman of the Negros-Panay Chapter of the Confed, the future of the entire country is also involved, not just Negros Occidental nor just the sugar industry.

That, to a certain extent, reflects two contrasting approaches to the national problems. The first group, mostly drivers and politicos, embarked on a transport strike and organized the Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan-Negros, in a meeting held at the residence of Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra over the weekend. The second, however, focused their eyes on what they can do to address the fuel and economic problems of the country.

Resource persons

De la Cruz said the Los Baños alumni have invited some of the top experts to brief the Negrense sugarmen on the Bio-energy program. They are led by Rep. Jose Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon, the author of the National Bio-Ethanol Bill. There is also Jose Ma. Zabaleta, president of the San Carlos Bio-Ethanol Corp. and executive director of the Philippine Sugar Millers’ Association.

Three others, include former Sugar Administrator Nicolas Alonso, president of the Sugar Master Plan and SRA’s Fernando Corpus who will discuss sugarcane production for bio-ethanol.

Government officials, businessmen, and civic and non-government organizations have indicated their desire to participate in the discussion, admitted De la Cruz.

The UPLBCA is composed of some of the top sugarcane planters of the province as well as those of other parts of the country. The other executive officers include Vice President Manjel Villanueva, Secretary Dr. Emmanuel Samson, treasurer Dr. Rodrigo Tapay, with Charles Jison as assistant treasurer. The two auditors are Rosario Bombio and Carlos Cesar Catabas, with Edgardo Pison as the PIO.

The directors also include the big industry leaders in Negros Occidental. These are Cresenciana Morales, Arturo Maghari, G. Romulo Lopez, and Francisco Manalo. Immediate past president Rafael Abello is ex-officio member.

De la Cruz said invited as panelists are representatives from financial institutions, oil companies, and sugar producers.

Transport strike

The transport strike in Bacolod yesterday showed a lot of other jeepneys plying their respective routes in Bacolod City. But many of the operating jeepneys contained only a handful of people.

The reason — public schools were closed and many private schools simply declared the suspension of classes.

Otherwise, people kept commuting. But there was a perceptible reluctance by many to travel unnecessarily. The cost of transport fares had risen to P7 minimum. That, for most meant P14 minimum for two rides going to downtown. And that discouraged unnecessary travel by most.

The Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Association (Febacda), headed by Elizabeth Katalbas, did not join yesterday’s strike. It was declared by a Piston affiliate, the United Negros Drivers Operations Center, led by Jessie Ortega.

PNP Superintendent Vicente Ponteras deployed policemen to prevent members of the striking group from harassing non-participating Febacda members. So far, however, there have been no incident reported.

Anyway, the more important factor is that the strikers are also asking for the resignation of President Arroyo as well as controlling the escalating price of fuel.

Unfortunately, the recent move by the House of Representatives on the impeachment complaint virtually shuts the door to their petition for presidential resignation. On the other side, even the European Union had already appealed to the OPEC and Middle East countries against further rocking the oil price situation to prevent erosion of the world economic order.

The question — will OPEC listen to a small country like the Philippines who, instead of beating the cartel, seem hellbent on browbeating their own president for what OPEC has been doing?

Oh, well . . .

Philanthropic inventor

It was stunning. No, not because of his invention but because Filipino inventor Bonifacio Comandante, an engineer, is funding graduate students who translate their thesis into actual business opportunities.

Comandante’s film recently received a million-dollar research grant from Australia. He is the inventor of the waterless fist-transport technology. This earned him international recognition.

He handed a P75,000 check recently to Silliman University president Augusto Pulido for grantees and finalists of the Thesis Grant Program for the Graduate Students Organization.

Under the program, two graduate students who submit outstanding thesis with business potentials will receive P30,000 each. The finalists, on the other hand, will receive P5,000 each.

Comandante recently received a cash award of $25,000 from the University of San Francisco in March this year for his invention which was named the Best International Business Plan.

Which only shows that there are still Filipinos who are trying to help other of their countrymen and the country.

ADDENDUM: Yesterday, there was a report that the New People’s Army assassinated Saturday an Army intelligence officer in Guihulngan, Oriental Negros. Sgt. Diosdado Sadayan was slain four months after another colleague, Sgt. Tranquilino Malcredo, was also assassinated by rebels in Bgy. San Pablo, Manapla. Two assassins reportedly shot him at the back of his head with caliber .45 pistols while six others acted as backup. The sad thing about the whole thing was that Lt. Col. Abraham Bagasin, 11th IB commander, had offered to transfer the slain Sadayan. The latter, however, begged off to avoid dislocating his family. That concern for his family eventually led to his assassination.