The National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines strongly supports the proposal of Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo (Neg. Occ., 5th Disteict) to increase the country’s ethanol blend from E10 (10 percent) to E15 (15 percent), NACUSIP national president Roland C. de la Cruz said Wednesday, March 25.
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“From the standpoint of the labor sector, this policy shift is not just an energy measure, it is a lifeline for thousands of sugar workers, mill employees, and bioethanol plant personnel whose livelihoods depend on a stable and expanding industry,” de la Cruz said in a press release.
Raising the blend to E15 will significantly boost demand for locally produced bioethanol, directly translating into higher productivity, and greater income security for sugar farmers and workers, he said.
De la Cruz said every liter of bioethanol produced sustains jobs in rural communities where employment opportunities are scarce and economic vulnerability is high.
The NACUSIP TUCP also emphasized that the Social Amelioration and Welfare Program (SAWP) under DOLE Department Order No. 144-15 is a critical safety net for workers in the biofuel sector.
The program mandates a Php 0.07 lien per liter of molasses-based bioethanol, which funds livelihood projects, emergency assistance, and financial benefits for workers. Increasing the blend to E15 directly increases these funds, strengthening the social protection system that workers rely on, it said.
“If the blending requirement increases, the volume of bioethanol sold by local producers will likewise increase, which will result in higher lien collections—of which about 80 percent goes straight to sugar workers as cash bonuses or financial benefits,” de la Cruz said.
“This is real money that goes to real families. Any delay or rollback in blending requirements is a direct attack on workers’ welfare,” he added.
NACUSIP–TUCP also highlighted its active role in the Tripartite Consultative Council for SAWP in the Bioethanol Sector, where field and mill workers are represented in shaping policies that protect their rights and ensure fair distribution of benefits.
The federation joins CONFED and NFSP in firmly opposing any legislative attempt to suspend the mandatory ethanol blending program, de la Cruz said.
NACUSIP–TUCP warned that suspending the requirement would cripple the bioethanol industry, slash income opportunities for sugarcane farmers, and put thousands of workers at risk of job loss.
“Suspending the blending mandate will not only weaken the industry—it will push workers deeper into poverty,” it said.
“Lawmakers must recognize that the E15 transition is not merely an economic adjustment. It is a pro-worker, pro-farmer, and pro-community policy that strengthens rural economies and protects the country’s labor force,” the federation added.
NACUSIP–TUCP urged Congress to prioritize the welfare of workers and reject any measure that undermines the progress made in building a stable, job-generating bioethanol sector.*
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