MANILA, Philippines?Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes on Friday urged motorists to switch to ethanol-blended gasoline (E10), stressing its economic benefits not only for the government but also for consumers.

Under the Biofuels Act (Republic Act No. 9367), local oil companies are now required to sell gasoline pre-blended with 5 percent ethanol. The new requirement that took effect yesterday is expected to result in the displacement of some 208 million liters of gasoline.

?The bioethanol program is designed to reduce the country?s dependence on costly imported fuel and to help create a new domestic fuel industry,? Reyes said.

Some oil companies had been selling ethanol-blended gasoline as early as last year. Their E10 variants have also surpassed the required 5-percent blending, as oil companies chose to pre-blend gasoline with 10 percent ethanol.

?The production and use of bioethanol can serve a variety of needs,? Reyes explained. ?On a national level, bioethanol can improve the balance of payments by displacing imported petroleum with domestically produced fuel. It may also provide more jobs in rural areas and alternative markets for agricultural commodities.?

The energy official pointed out that the use of E10 would mean ?better performance, reduced carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emissions which, in most cases, would improve fuel economy.?

Cleansing effect

?E10 is known to provide high octane rating at low cost as an alternative to harmful fuel additives. E10 has the added advantage of high volumetric efficiency and helps to keep valves cool, contributing to increased power,? Reyes said.

Apart from being biodegradable, bioethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions because it burns more efficiently, thus significantly reducing unburned carbons, he added.

According to the energy department, blending serves two purposes. First, it extends gasoline supplies and second, it replaces metallic-based additives, being an octane enhancer.

?Bioethanol has a cleansing effect, removing rust and other unwanted contaminants that may have accumulated in the tank and fuel system over the years,? the department added.

Reyes said oil companies like Chevron, Eastern Petroleum Corp., Flying V, Petron, PTT, Shell, Seaoil, Total and Unioil have affirmed their commitments to expand production and marketing of E10, to service local demand. They also assured the government that their E10 brands met Philippine National Standards.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (Campi) and the Philippine Automotive Federation Inc. (Pafi) said E10 can be used to power all fuel-injected engines, particularly in vehicles manufactured after 1999.

Among the E10 endorsers are Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, PGA Cars (importers of Audi and Porsche), Suzuki, Toyota and Volvo.

Both Campi and Pafi, however, advised owners of older model cars to consult accredited service shops if they want to fill up with E10.