The call of Negros Occidental Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo for the national government to increase the country’s ethanol blend requirement to cushion fuel price increases got the support of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (NACUSIP-TUCP).
NACUSIP-TUCP president Roland de la Cruz said “the 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.”
In a statement, De la Cruz said that 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.
The fuel blend increase, from E10 (10 percent ethanol) to E15 (15 percent ethanol), is a practical measure to avert possible fuel shortage, and provide relief to local sugar industry and the public, Yulo earlier said.
He noted that Republic Act 9367, or the Biofuels Act of 2006, mandates a minimum 10 percent bioethanol blend in gasoline fuel. “Moving from E10 to E15 would raise the required ethanol component, temper gasoline prices, and expand demand for bioethanol derived from molasses,” the lawmaker said.
Moreover, NACUSIP-TUCP emphasized that the Social Amelioration and Welfare Program under the Department of Labor and Employment Order No. 144-15 is a critical safety net for workers in the biofuel sector.
The program mandates a P0.07 lien per liter of molasses-based bioethanol, which funds livelihood projects, emergency assistance, and financial benefits for workers.
De la Cruz said increasing the blend to E15 directly increases these funds, strengthening the social protection system that workers rely on.
“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,” he added. | GB
