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Feature
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Written by Sabrina Deparine
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Monday, 08 June 2009 09:16 |
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Page views: 879 |
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People are probably aware by now on the benefits of biofuels. However, apart from being less expensive and more environment-friendly, there is more to biofuels than meets the eye.
 What we are trying to say here is that biofuels can actually serve as a means by which rural areas in the Philippines can grow and develop. Perhaps the most obvious indication of growth and development is that with the opening of the biofuels and the ethanol industries in the country, more job opportunities have also opened up particularly in the rural areas. The best part about this is that as the ethanol blend mandated in the Biofuels Act of 2006 increases, it also increases the demand for ethanol and biofuels. An increase in the demand and production of biofuels may mean more expansion of the existing facilities; thus, creating more production lines and job opportunities for the Filipinos. Just to illustrate this point, consider other countries like Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, and the United States which have flourishing agricultural industries that supply feedstock for ethanol. These countries have been touted as job-creating centers due to their growing ethanol industries.
In the Philippines, the biofuels industry can create direct employment not only in the agriculture sector but also in the manufacturing sector. This industry is expected to open as much as 87,000 jobs once all planned biofuels and ethanol plants have been established and have become fully operational, given a timeframe of 10 years. This means that the biofuels industry is capable of employing an average of 8,700 Filipinos per year. For instance, the estimated ethanol requirement in the Philippines for 2008 to 2009 is 169.23 million liters, which can actually generate an estimated 5,075 jobs in the agriculture sector and 1,880 jobs in the manufacturing sector. These figures are expected to grow. By 2009 to 2010, the ethanol requirement is expected to increase to 180.31 million liters. This corresponds to increases in job openings in the two sectors.
As mentioned earlier, the mandate on biofuels has allowed the opening of new industries int the country. The expansion of the biofuels industry can facilitate and bring in more economic activities in the rural areas. For instance, in the Philippines, oil imports have lowered by 1.4% from 2007 to 2008. This translates to 1.7 million barrels which cost around USD 173.6 million. This decrease is partly attributed to the emergence of biofuels. As such, this benefits the ethanol producers in the rural areas.
A growing biofuels industry puts the economies of the places, where new production facilities are located, to an advantage. This is because it stimulates more demand, creates more jobs, and helps in generating additional income for both household and community.
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