Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez announced on Monday, March 30, that he is scaling up a Biodiesel Project to cover more barangays in Bacolod City to help mitigate the rising costs of fuel and create livelihoods.
Biodiesel, a renewable biofuel seen as an alternative to fossil fuel, is produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, waste cooking oils, and lipids of yeast and microalgae.
Benitez highlighted the expansion of the project during its launch at the Community Center at Las Palmas Subdivision in Barangay Taculing, noting that the initiative addresses the urgent need for cheap fuel among fisherfolk and farmers.
The project also serves as a solution to urban pollution.
In Bacolod, biodiesel is produced from used cooking oil sourced from restaurants and fast-food chains, which if not properly disposed clogs drainage systems, Benitez said.
Benitez aims to expand the project he started during his term as Bacolod mayor two years ago to cover every barangay in the city.
His vision includes placing one biodiesel machine in every barangay, to be operated by the village officials or a cooperative as a livelihood project within their community centers.
He is currently discussing the implementation with barangay captains willing to join the program, Benitez said.
Engineer Ian Fred Solas, chief executive officer of Green Solutions.PH, said that Benitez originally jumpstarted the project with his personal funds by purchasing three biodiesel machines that now operate in Barangay Felisa.
The idea to convert used oil into fuel was born when the city was addressing flooding problems. When clogged drainages were opened, hardened oil sludge was identified as the culprit, Solas said
Today, these machines can produce 1,000 to a maximum of 2,000 liters of biodiesel daily, sold at cost of about P35 to P40 a liter, Solas said.
Some establishments even produce biodiesel to be given to fisherfolk for free as part of their corporate social responsibility, he added.
This initiative represents a significant reduction in fuel costs for farmers and fisherfolk, Solas said.
Under the scaled-up plan, used oil from households can also be collected for biofuel production, providing a resource that can even power barangay generators, Solas said.
They are also eyeing the scaling up of the conversion market waste into biodiesel, Solas said.
The Office of Benitez gave 400 liters of biodiesel to 100 fisherfolk from barangays 1, 2, Banago and Singcang on Monday.
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya said the city government fully supports the project, emphasizing its importance in addressing the ongoing fuel crisis.
Bacolod Councilor Bobby to Rojas, chair of the Sanggunian Committee on Energy and Public Utilities, said the project, which theme is “Collect, Recycle and Renew”, is beneficial to the city because it addresses the problem of the high cost of fuel and pollution at the same time.*
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