The Wutz Up in the Philippines!

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday rejected the appeal of oil companies for a dialogue with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the possible recall of an executive order freezing fuel prices in Luzon, which remains in a state of calamity.

But Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera indicated that the order may soon be lifted in specific areas as the government and oil firms try to reach an agreement on a mutually acceptable response to the devastation wrought by successive storms.

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This Friday marks the deadline for meeting a requirement that at least 5% bioethanol comprise the annual volumes of gasoline sold in the country and Energy Utilization and Management Bureau Director Mario Marasigan said the oil companies were more than ready.

Oil companies have already been selling blends of a much as 10%, he said, ahead of the four-year timeframe wherein the government will have to decide whether to raise the standard to that level.

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Chevron Spokesman Mark C. Quebral told a briefing yesterday the bioethanol-blended fuel would become available in more than 500 stations nationwide by the end of the year.

Chevron, like its competitors, has just started selling gasoline with 10% ethanol blend (E-10). The law requires oil companies to sell cleaner fuel starting next month.

Chevron said key terminals and depots that include Poro in La Union, Sasa in Davao City, Lapu-Lapu in Cebu, Batangas and Pandacan, Manila will start blending and distributing E-10 fuel within the quarter. At present, only 60 out of Chevron’s 840 stations sells the E-10.

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