IT WAS GREAT to hear President Marcos talk about renewable energy in his State of the Nation Address. Indeed, our search for new power sources should always be with an eye to improving the mix of the energy supply between traditional and renewable sources.
Jeepney drivers are reeling from the incessant increases in the prices of fuel thus they are seeking a hike in fares. Their problem can be traced to the country being largely dependent on the importation of fossil fuels, mainly from the Middle East. When the world supply falls short – and it will fall short in due time – our country will be in big trouble if we have no other alternatives available.
There are alternative sources of energy that are already with the reach of Filipinos. Wind power, a shown in Guimaras Island and the Ilocos region, offers bright prospects. Solar energy in sun-scorched Philippines offers great potential.
We have natural gas deposits near Palawan which the national government ought not to sell to foreign interests. It may not be an inexhaustible supply but there may be enough of it to keep us going as we develop other renewable sources of energy.
We have a law promoting the use of bio-fuels. This is a step in the right direction as ethanol from sugarcane can be blended with gasoline and diesel. And we have plenty of sugarcane. Take the experience of Brazil. They made their staple crop, corn, a renewable source of alcohol for specially developed locally manufactured car engines. Today, they do not depend as much on imported oil anymore.
By exploring other renewable sources of energy right now, the country will be protected in the future from the whims of oil-exporting countries and the ever-present threat of war in the Middle East. Doing so will also be economical because renewable energy sources are always cheaper in the long run. They are environment-friendly, too, because these sources of energy do not harm the ecosystem.
With the fluctuating prices of oil in the world market, it is high time for the country to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and focus on tapping renewable energy resources that are also environment-friendly.
We fervently hope that the Marcos administration succeed in this regard.
