By Ed Velasco, Philippine Graphic Magazine via SEAMEO SEARCA

Government has launched a novel approach in reducing the nation's dependence on imported fossil fuels, like crude oil, by tapping vast tracts of heretofore unproductive idle public and private lands (mostly denuded mountains and forests) for large-scale bio-fuel crop cultivation.

The initiative mandates the propagation and the commercial cultivation of the bio-fuel crop Jatropha Curcas L. or Tuba-Tuba, a drought resistant small tree that yields seeds, which contain a high concentration of oil that can substitute for petrol-based diesel.

Tasked to pursue the project, in partnership with individual farmers and agri-business enterprises, is the newly organized Philippine Forest Corporation (PhilForest), headed by Rodolfo Noel I. Lozada Jr. as president and chief executive officer, and who sits in the board composed of Environment Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, chairman; Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman; Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri and National Resources Development Corp. Chief Angelico Salud.

PhilForest operates as a corporate arm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and has been given the mandate to distribute property and usufructuary rights over public agricultural and forestlands, as well as provide support to beneficiaries of such idle public lands in order to encourage active private sector involvement in the commercial planting of the Tuba-Tuba tree.

This means that landless individuals or groups could participate in the development of Tuba-Tuba plantations by availing themselves of the existing 25-year land stewardship program of the government through the DENR.

The Tuba-Tuba initiative is primarily aimed at making productive all idle public and private lands, particularly denuded mountains and forests, unfit for food crop cultivation; and produce in commercial volume a renewable and environment-friendly bio-fuel (Bio-diesel), thus alleviate poverty in the countryside and address ecological concerns.

The Tuba-Tuba's seeds yield a high concentration of oil that immediately upon extraction could be used as fuel for low revolution per minute (rpm) diesel engines, like generators and engine-powered farm implements such as hand tractors (popularly-known as kuliglig), water pumps and threshers.

With a minimum of processing, the Tuba-Tuba bio-diesel could run diesel engine-powered motor vehicles.

Surging crude prices
Lozada explains that government's decision to pursue the commercial cultivation of the Tuba-Tuba tree forms part of its total approach in reducing the nation's dependence on imported petroleum and other fossil fuels.

Lozada, who has a 20-year experience in executive and management positions, gives three reasons why the government is pinning its hopes on Tuba-Tuba in reducing the Philippines' over dependence to imported fossil fuels.

First, the shrub is considered a "beast of burden" because it is easy to grow compared to any of the 21 crops in the Philippines that can be used as source of alternative to fossil fuel. "You don't need a fertilizer or pesticide because the fruit and leaves can kill pert that will feast on it," he says.

Second, Tuba-Tuba farmers have sure market once the crop starts bearing fruits, usually on the 10th month after planting.

Third reason is profit. PhilForest buys every kilo of dried Tuba-Tuba seeds at 15% of the prevailing diesel pump prices. Before buying the produce, the dried Tuba-Tuba seeds must only contain less than 10% of the moisture level set by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

If seeds containing more than 10% of moisture level will be processed, the diesel will be less effective and might cause problem to the engine.

However, Lozada has an important message to anyone interested in planting the shrub. "We do not encourage anyone to abandon rice or corn farming and shift to Tuba-Tuba planting," the official assures.

At present, the official clarifies there is no commercial production of Tuba-Tuba diesel yet. All the seeds bought by the agency since its establishment in 2004 are intended for propagation before the full blast commercial selling.

Lozada expects to start commercial production of Tuba-Tuba diesel in May 2008, or one year-and-a-half from now. Once commercial production starts, Tuba-Tuba diesel will be bought similar to the prevailing pump prices of diesel sold by profit-oriented oil companies.

When this time comes, PhilForest will be able to transform 6,000 kilos of Tuba-Tuba seeds into diesel per week. With an output of one liter per 3.1 kilos of seeds, the official sees a Tuba-Tuba diesel output of more than 1,935 liters.

He says PhilForest has already bought 30 tons of dried seeds since 2004. All the seeds are planted at the PhilForest's main nursery at Old NAMRIA Bldg., Lawton Ave., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Lozada invites everyone engaged into Tuba-Tuba planting to sell seeds by sending these to the agency's office. Those who want to plant Tuba-Tuba but can't find seeds can also buy at PhilForest at P200 per kilo.

"I want to maximize the use of this shrub. It's not only environment-friendly, it is also the ultimate solution to our growing diesel consumption," Lozada explains.

He says now is the right time to mitigate the relentless increases in the prices of crude oil and its refined products on fears of shortages as a result of regional conflicts, terrorism and rising demand from China and India.

World oil prices have breached the $75/barrel level due to these factors, coupled with an awareness that supplies of fossil fuels will eventually run out.

While petroleum prices retreated a bit following the cessation of the Israeli-Hezbollah hostilities in southern Lebanon in late August, they jumped again by mid-September on fears of another Middle East conflict, this time involving Iran and the US, which could affect oil supplies.

But even without these disturbances in the world's leading oil producing region, oil market pundits are convinced that crude prices would continue to rise until they become prohibitive. Oil reserves would one day be exhausted and the world will have to rely then on new sources of energy.

Dedicated bio-diesel crop
"With the commercial cultivation of Tuba-Tuba, along with other bio-fuel cum food crops such as coconut, sugarcane, cassava and other bio-mass feed stocks that abound locally, government is confident it could protect the Philippines from the adverse impact of future instability in the supply and prices of fossil fuels," Lozada says.

Besides hydro, the state has initiated steps to tap geothermal resources, wind power and the newly developed natural gas reserves for electric generation, and has encouraged the use of coconut oil and sugarcane to produce bio-fuel additives for motor engines.

This is the first time, though, that government is initiating the propagation and commercial cultivation of a dedicated bio-diesel crop.

This drought-resistant, perennial shrub (or small tree) has an economic life of 35-50 years and thrives well in marginal soil sandy, gravelly, or saline needing little or no maintenance at all. It grows quickly (the first shot appears within six days of planting) and its seeds, from which the oil is extracted, can usually be harvested after a year.

Available data show that three kilos of Tuba-Tuba seeds yield one liter of crude or unprocessed oil that can be used directly to run low rpm diesel engine widely used in farms (hand tractors, water pumps and threshers) and in the fishing industry.

This estimated Tuba-Tuba yield is equivalent to an average of five tons of seed or 1,430 liter of crude oil a year from a one-hectare land planted to 2,500 trees.

Results of tests conducted by the Industrial Technology Development Institute of the DOST last March on five kgs of Tuba-Tuba seeds reflected a 28.60% oil content inside the seeds.

The process of extracting the oils from the shrub seeds is no complicated matter as it passes only two steps before becoming diesel. First is the extraction at the laboratory. After extraction, the extracted fluids will undergo trans-esterification process and the Tuba-Tuba diesel is then ready to use.

Lozada points out the biggest help that can be obtain from full blast Tuba-Tuba utilization as source of diesel will be the creation of sure income for farmers, lessen the country's dependence to imported diesel, creating jobs and utilization of idle lands to productive purposes.

The PhilForest executive assures in the next three years, the country will be able to produce at least 562,500,000 liters of Tuba-Tuba diesel a year. This estimate is based on the 375,000 hectares of land expected to be full of Tuba-Tuba crop with yield of 1,500 liters per hectare.

Lozada admits the expected yield from Tuba-Tuba utilization three years from now is still very far from the government's target of supplying at least half of the country's diesel demand of seven billion liters per year.

"But we can be able to prove to the world the Philippines doesn't need to rely all its demand for fuels to foreign market forever," he says.

Aside from minimizing the dependence to imported diesel, the official also says the full blast utilization of Tuba-Tuba as fuel source substitute will lessen the country's fuel expenses currently pegged at P450 billion per year. Besides oil, the Tuba-Tuba has other by-products: the pressed cake that can be used as organic fertilizer and its sediments as a basic ingredient in soap making.

Tuba-Tuba plantations can also be used as grazing lands for livestocks, particularly goats and sheep, to contain the growth of grass and other wild plants and to generate additional revenues for the farmers. The Tuba-Tuba tree, including its fruits, is poisonous so it is safe from these animals.

Viable agro-business venture
Lozada says PhilForest's timetable calls for the development of Tuba-Tuba plantations covering some two millions hectares of currently idle public and private lands that are unfit for food crop production in 10 to 12 years.

According to PhilForest guess estimate, major portions of these idle lands are found in Abra, Benguet, Mountain Province, Quirino, Isabela, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Basilan and Zamboanga.

At present, Lozada estimates that only 1% of the country's labor force in the agriculture sector, around 20 million or 50% of the total labor force, know that Tuba-Tuba is the fast becoming the new "darling of the farmers."

This 1% accounts for 1,000 hectares of land now occupied by Tuba-Tuba trees. Most of these lands are found in Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur, Cotabato, Maguindanao and Pampanga, and, of course at the PhilForest nursery in Fort Bonifacio. PhilForest estimates that if these tracks of lands will be fully utilized for Tuba-Tuba plantation, these would allow the production of some 5.6 billion liters of oil a year, accounting for the bulk of the current annual diesel demand of roughly seven billion liters.

Lozada is confident that PhilForest would achieve its goal of encouraging the commercial cultivation of Tuba-Tuba because of its viability as an agro-business enterprise.

The "energy" tree's natural low-maintenance cost, let alone the soaring prices of fossil fuels ensures the viability of its commercial cultivation, he stresses, adding that "even at a petroleum price of only $46/barrel, an investor in a Tuba-Tuba plantation could already reap a 20% return on its investments, which could further grow with the forecast sustained up-stick in the crude oil prices in light of the sustained crises in the Middle East and rising world demand for this product."

Petroleum prices might have retreated a bit in the past weeks, but now they're back to scaling back to their peak levels of above $70/barrel, the PhilForest chief notes.