MANILA, Philippines -- With fuel pump prices rising on a weekly basis and hitting an unheard-of P61 a liter in the past week, Filipino politicians are taking a hard look at their beloved sport utility vehicles.

Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel Arroyo, chairman of the House committee on energy, said he plans to have a liqueifed petroleum gas tank installed in the Ford E-150 van that takes his children from their residence in Quezon City and to their school in Makati.

“As part of the government program on alternative fuels, I endorse the use of LPG tanks even in private vehicles,” Arroyo told the INQUIRER.

“I'm thinking about it. I'm going to put one in the E-150. It's an old car and it's a gas guzzler. Anyway, it doesn't have to be fast because it's taking the children to school,” he added.

Arroyo said the car that takes him to his constituency in Pampanga consumes less gasoline than the big van that takes his children to school.

“I drive a Camry. So it doesn't consume as much gas as the van,” he said.

While the chairman of the House energy panel is still thinking about installing an LPG kit in his big Ford, two politicians have already made the switch in their respective Chevys.

Senator Francis Escudero, chair of the Senate committee on ways and means, and former Cavite Representative Gilbert Remulla have already installed LPG tanks in their SUV's and are on their way to installing the same in their other cars.

Aside from saving half or more than half of their thousands of pesos in fuel costs, both politicians said they also expect savings in car maintenance because of LPG being a cleaner fuel than gasoline.

“I had it installed when gas was at P57 per liter just recently, around three weeks ago,” Escudero said of his little more than P70,000 investment in his 1997 Chevrolet Suburban that runs on a 5.2-liter, eight-cylinder engine.

Escudero said that the SUV's consumption of an estimated 4.75 kilometers to the liter is the same with the LPG kit installed.

“But the price of the fuel is 60 percent off,” Escudero said. He said that when he had the cost-saving device installed in his car, the price of gasoline was P57 per liter while LPG was P26 per liter.

“Let's say the car uses up P5,000 worth of gasoline a week, that's P20,000 a month. With LPG at half the price, that's already P10,000 a month in savings,” Escudero said.

Remulla had his LPG kit installed in his 2000 Suburban a few months earlier in April when a liter of gasoline was still P45.

“Instead of paying P61, I pay P35,” Remulla said of his savings now that the price per liter of gasoline has breached the P60-level.

“When the price of gas hit P45 a liter, I said `Teka muna, masakit na `to (Wait, this is hurting already)...I was spending P4,500 a week at P45 per liter. I'd be spending P7,000 a week if I didn't switch to LPG,” the opposition leader from Cavite said.

Escudero said the Suburban that already has the LPG kit is usually used by his wife Christine.

“I will have one installed as well in the one I bring,” Escudero said of his other Suburban.

Remulla said he plans to do the same for his family's Camry sedan, adding that he read materials on LPG kits before “taking the plunge.”

Experience and the research convinced him that LPG in cars is safe for him and his family.

“It's only here that there are health concerns related to LPG. In Bangkok, in Japan, even in Europe, LPG use (in cars) is widespread,” Remulla said.

He said that there was a time when he went to Europe and his host had a car that ran on LPG.

Remulla feels safe bringing his wife and children aged seven, three, and one, on weekend road trips even with the LPG at the back.

“There are no (adverse) effects whatsoever,” Remulla said.

Remulla said that the health concerns that go with LPG in taxicabs may come from the sometimes haphazard manner installers do their job.

He said some installers do the job quickly to have more units put in place and earn more for a day of work. “You really have to choose the conversion kit and the supplier,” Remulla said.

Remulla said the tank also has safety features such as one that shuts off the system when there is a sudden drop in pressure.

“It also has a stress test that when it gets involved in a crash, it will just be crumpled. It won't leak,” Remulla said.

Escudero, who takes his wife and their twin toddlers on the LPG-powered SUV as well, said the LPG installed in fuel injection cars are “closed systems.”

“There's no leak,” Escudero said. He also mentioned the automatic shutoff feature that happens when there is a sudden drop in pressure or an expected leak.

Escudero said he also expects less frequency of change oil.

“Your engine is clean. There is no carbon. Your oil will take a longer time before it turns black,” Escudero said.

Remulla agrees.

“There is no sulfur, no aromatics, no harmful components that dirty the engine,” Remulla said.

While Escudero and Remulla had LPG tanks installed in their cars, Senior Minority Leader Roilo Golez said he bought a smaller van.

Golez brings a Ford E-150 and confesses a fondness for big American vans.

“I usually bring my files with me in my car. My computer as well. So you see, if you look inside my car, parang bahay (like home),” Golez said.

With the fuel crunch, Golez saw it fit to buy a more fuel efficient van.

“I bought a smaller Korean van,” Golez said. He didn't want to endorse a car brand but allowed the mention that it uses a diesel-fed CRDi engine.

A doting grandfather, Golez said, he still bought a van because he enjoys taking his grandchildren on road trips. “That's my joy during weekends,” he said.