MikeLigalig.com

By Rey Anthony Chiu
Philippine Information Agency - Bohol

Idle lands plus idle people is a bad combination. But, put in jatropha (jatropha curcas) or tubatuba in the equation and it tilts the balance for sustainable bio-fuel that may just spur micro economies but macro economies as well.

This is basically the gist of the presentation by Rodolfo Noel Lozada, President and chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Forest Corporation [Philforest], a young sprout of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources family during the League of Municipalities of the Philippines presentation last Wednesday, January 9 in Talibon Bohol.

The presentation momentarily suspended the baffling questions hounding every common farmer faced with the choice of what to grow.

Boholano farmers have been asking, if jatropha is really the best crop with the least environmental footprint?

Questions have also been raised on the impacts of large scale jatropha plantations in developing nations to feed the energy demands of western world or how does the jatropha economics work for the developing nations?

While PhilForest did not attempt to respond to these questions, its representatives who came to the LMP invitation through Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren presented the endemic tubatuba as a turn key solution to poverty and deforestation, especially in Bohol.

In the zooming price of oil and the world eyes a shift to sustainable alternative fuel sources, a shift to jatropha may be the most viable option for the small farmer who could not invest that much, stressed Philforest.

Jatropha in the Philippines has mostly been used as fencing material and has proven itself to grow be easily here, but with 38% of jatropha fruit’s weight as its weight in oil, the prospect of growin it becomes all too tempting.
 
Jatropha belongs to the plants that produce bio-diesel like coconut, oil palm, soya, talisay, tangan-tanagn and some other plants, while bioethanol also comes from rice, corn and sugarcane.

In PhilForest’s presentation, given in front of the 26 LMP members pointed out that the Philippines has currently about 14 million hectares of denuded and idle lands and another 25 million Filipinos without work.

He said the country uses up 330 thousand barrels fuel of per day or buys roughly P450 B worth of fuel per year to oil producing countries.

If we could use the same money to draw our own bio-fuel sources, then it may mean so much to our people. 

It not only solves unemployment, it also puts up a sustainable and environment friendly alternative to the carbon-emitting substances we pour in our vehicles, he said.

Calling in for help from the otherwise powerful and yet un-reined labor force, PhilForest is pitching its sales to LGUs willing to partner with small and medium farmers and groups to enter into a lease agreement with the DENR to start replanting otherwise idle lands.

There’s no other reason why we are using jatropha, it is fast growing and gives in a fast cash flow, he adds.

Jatropha can be harvested beginning its tenth month onwards and a good and well-cared farm produces at least 1.5 tons of fruits which can be processed in the backyard, Philforest bared.

The government scientists have been studying jatropha despite the unsettling debates that has polarized the global energy sector.

Currently, proponents of fossil fuels and renewable energy could not meet on common grounds on what to use, in the lull, the biofuel industry spin-off pops up as among a spectrum of energy options.

“When we came in, we saw some patches of idle hills, Phil Forest authorities said, citing some areas in north-western Bohol.

“We are proposing, with the help of local government units to use these idle lands and make them productive, through jatropha plantations, PhilForest said.

“Let’s bring back the life in the forest as a basis of commerce and progress”, its presentation ended.

Over this, LMP Chairman Exuperio Lloren has also goaded mayors of town especially those with idle lands to take a look at jatropha so they can start getting their areas more productive.

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