Monday, November 26, 2007 Cayetano to LGUs: Adopt 'greening' of transport system By Edmund B. Sestoso
SENATOR Pia Cayetano urged local officials of Negros Oriental and other local government units throughout the country to adopt and support the "greening" of the mass transport system.
Amid rising oil prices, the use of public utility buses and jeeps that run on clean energy will be a big help.
The greening of transport systems will also address the growing concerns on carbon emission and climate change.
Cayetano specially encouraged Negros Oriental officials to continue protecting the environment this time by adopting the greening project. The province has always been one of the first to respond when it comes to protecting the environment.
Negros Oriental has been the first to answer the call of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on alternative fuel by the massive planting of Jathropa.
It was also the first to massively promote organic products and fertilizers by institutionalizing the banning of genetically modified products in the province.
Negros Oriental was the first to put in place the integrated taxation system with the hosting of the International I TAX Forum in Dumaguete City.
Cayetano said that it is possible for the province to gradually require all government agencies to use "clean" service vehicles to help the government save on gasoline bills.
Cayetano cited and lauded Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay for pioneering the use of the electric jeep (e-jeep) in Metro Manila.
The e-jeep has also been deployed to serve public transport routes in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental and Bacolod City in Negros Occidental.
Senator Cayetano chairs the Senate committee on environment and natural resources.
"These initiatives should serve as models for other LGUs, especially in major cities and municipalities where air pollution is heaviest. We can implement the 'greening' of the mass transport system in stages by doing it one city, and one vehicle, at a time," she said.
The e-jeep program is an initiative of the Green Renewable Independent Power Producer Incorporated (GRIPP) and the environmental group Greenpeace, in partnership with LGUs.
Cayetano also urged local government units to provide a lane for bicycles, a move that is successfully implemented in Marikina City.
"This will encourage the people to take the bicycle when going to work, school, or other destinations. It's not only carbon-free, but also a healthy means of moving around," added Cayetano, herself a bicycle enthusiast.
Cayetano has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate the deployment of more buses in the metropolis running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which is sourced from the country's own gas fields off Palawan.
CNG is both clean and cheap and reports have it that a liter costs P14.50, which is less than half the price of a liter of diesel and gasoline.
CNG also does not emit toxic gases like fossil fuels.
Deploying more CNG buses means saving on foreign exchange for imported fuel other than saving the environment.
The Congressional Oversight Committee on the Clean Air Act will discuss measures to promote the use of clean and renewable energy sources once the House of Representatives officially appoints its officers and members.
Cayetano suggested the provision of tax and non-tax incentives for importers of spare parts and assemblers of e-jeeps and CNG vehicles as an initial step for the public transport sector.
"Right now, e-jeeps are imported from China while CNG technology comes from the US, France and India. What we hope to do in the long term is to help develop our own clean technology industry as we reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels" she said.
