Buses fuelled by compressed natural gas (CNG) are expected to operate in the Visayas, the central region of the Philippines, by 2015, according to a Philippine Government Information Agency report. Around 178 buses are expected to be CNG-fueled by 2015 and 1,314 buses by 2030, said Assistant Director Carmencita A. Bariso of the Department of Energy. Implementation will bolster the government’s efforts to attain energy sufficiency and independence from foreign oil.
Bariso said that the government has made significant strides on alternative energy for transport, stressing some 34 buses are currently running on CNG on the Southern Tagalog to Manila routes. Under the pilot phase of the Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport (NGVT), the target is to have 200 buses commercially operating by 2010.
The NGVT is envisioned to enhance the energy supply security in the transport sector through fuel diversification using indigenous natural gas.
Based on a JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) study on Capability Enhancement on Policy and Planning for a More Effective and Comprehensive Philippine Energy Plan Formulation, Bariso said it is projected that 10,000 buses in Luzon, Visayas and Mindano will [eventually] be fuelled with CNG.
Meanwhile, implementing the NGVT is provided for under Executive Order 290. Launched October 16, 2002 it saw the unveiling of a portfolio on incentives to encourage active participation of the private sector to provide the necessary support, logistics and infrastructure.
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