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Sunday, August 13, 2006
Arroyo seeks ties on energy supply
By Rose O. Versoza
CEBU CITY -- It is high time for the Asia-Pacific region to move towards energy independence, as the prices of energy and oil continue to rise, President Arroyo announced Saturday.
Even as she acknowledged the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (Apec) role in the promotion of regional economic cooperation, Arroyo told the participants of the Apec Business Advisory Council (Abac) meeting that new emerging realities require "pragmatic responses."
This includes the trans-boundary nature of the increasing threats to human security in the region, such as terrorism, epidemics and natural disasters, as well as the security of supply for resources, particularly energy and minerals.
The Philippines cannot deal with these issues alone. It needs to work with other countries and international institutions to eliminate them, President Arroyo said.
Energy security has taken on a grave importance, Arroyo told business leaders belonging to the Apec advisory body.
The Philippines imports most of its oil needs. With the ongoing war between Israel and Lebanon, supply has become more expensive.
While admitting that the high cost of energy is a burden to governments and consumers, especially for the poor, Arroyo said it should also be taken as an opportunity for placing "our energy future into our own hands."
"We must rally our region to the cause of energy independence. The proposed East Asian Summit initiative on renewable and alternative energy development will require true public-private sector partnership, where we governments create an environment conducive for the private sector to develop and invest in renewable and alternative sources of energy," Arroyo said in her keynote address Saturday.
Alternative
"We have declared a war of independence from oil and aspire to be like Brazil, becoming self-sufficient in bio-fuels within a decade," she further said.
She cited the country's experience in the development of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
Last Friday, President Arroyo checked the car display of Ford's flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) in Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa.
The vehicle's engine is designed to function on conventional gas or on gas blended with bio-ethanol fuel.
Ford Motor Company is manufacturing these engines in the Philippines to be marketed in the country, as well as in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
"This is the future of commerce and this is the future of our self-reliance on alternative fuels, like thermal, wind and solar. In the meantime, we have clamp0ed down on price gouging and have secured a steady supply of fuel for our people," Arroyo said.
200 leaders
She said the suspension of the World Trade Organization's Doha Round negotiations is also another concern that has "profound implications" on all participants to the East Asia Summit and which requires a collective response.
The suspension of the Doha Round is, in effect, a deferment of the talks on free trade liberalization.
She said the voluntary move of Apec members to free their respective markets from restrictions has resulted to trade expansion.
"For the Philippines, Apec still provides the ideal forum for managing our trans-Pacific engagement...We will work to enhance the capacity-building aspects of Apec. We will use Apec as the primary vehicle for promoting greater ease of doing business in the region," said Arroyo.
Some 200 top corporate leaders and foreign dignitaries have joined the three-day ABAC meeting, which started last Friday.
(August 13, 2006 issue)
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