Unioil to Put Up More Retail Stations

Unioil Philippines Inc. is investing up to P160 million next year to put up at least eight new retail stations in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Chito Medina-Cue Jr. told reporters over the weekend that they have already identified the areas for the new gas networks.

Cue admitted that they will be more aggressive next year despite the financial crunch.

“Unioil constructed only two stations this year. But we will continue to invest more. Our customers want us to set up more stations,” he said. Read more

Chevron Philippines to invest $20M in Ethanol Program

Chevron Philippines Inc. (formerly Caltex) will invest some $20 million for its ethanol-related initiatives.

During the launching of its E-10 blended gasoline, Chevron brand manager Dominic Timbancaya said the amount will cover expenses for pipes and tanks for ethanol processing over the next two years.

Local oil firms have been investing capital to comply with the mandated 10 percent blend of ethanol under the Biofuels Act to be carried out in January next year. Read more

AAP, Toyota, NCTS Holds Road-Safety Conference

Amid the increasing number of road accidents around the country, the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), in cooperation with Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. and the University of the Philippines-National Center for Transportation Studies (UP-NCTS), in coordination with the Department of Transportation and Communications, is held a multisectoral “Road Safety Partnership” conference last November 20 at the Heritage Hotel Manila.

The conference featured presentations from road-safety experts and leaders. Apart from sharing best practices in road-safety programs, the conference also aims to increase awareness of the National Road Safety Action Plan and to secure support and cooperation for the Global Road Safety Partnerships (GRSP) Philippines Project. Read more

Department of Energy May Raise Biodiesel Blend to 3%

The Department of Energy (DOE) may propose to increase the biodiesel blend to three percent in February 2009 to encourage more investors into biofuels development.

DOE director Mario Marasigan told reporters over the weekend that there are already 10 accredited biofuel manufacturers in the country.

Another two to three companies, he said, are awaiting an approval from the DOE. He identified the two new applicants as Lipitech and Unistar. Read more

Major, Indepedent Oil Firms Implement Big Price Rollback

Major and independent oil players rolled back prices of diesel and gasoline early morning of 30 October 2008.

The latest oil firm to reduce its prices is Unioil Petroleum Philippines, which according to its general manager Chito Medina-Cue, will cut back the cost of diesel by P6 per liter and gasoline by P2.50 per liter effective 2 p.m. Thursday.

“This is the biggest rollback in the history of the Philippines so far. This is bigger than the others,” he said. Read more

DOTC to Impose Stricter Sanctions Against Erring PUVs

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) has imposed stricter sanctions against public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and companies involved in road accidents, an official said on Tuesday.

Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Thompson Lantion said the directive of DoTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza was to immediately suspend the license of any PUV driver involved in a road accident, particularly those resulting in deaths.

At the same time, the LTFRB should immediately issue a cease and desist order against the PUV company involved, Lantion added. Read more

MMDA Bans Armored Vans from Yellow Lanes

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Sunday reiterated that the yellow lanes on EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos Avenue) are off-limits to armored vans which carry cash from banks or other establishments.

MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando said that drivers of armored vehicles were among the most frequent violators of traffic rules, often citing security as an excuse. Read more

Congress to Probe Why Oil Firms Not Giving Bigger Rollbacks

Speaker Prospero Nograles wants the House of Representatives’ committee on energy chaired by Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo to look into the profits of oil companies.

“If the oil companies are using the deregulation law as their excuse for imposing unreasonable prices, we will also use the provisions of the deregulation law which empowers Congress to exercise oversight over these firms,” he said. Read more

MMDA Warns Drivers Against Swerving on EDSA

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) cautioned motorists yesterday against swerving along EDSA, a violation that can cost them a maximum fine of P2,000.

Agency officials issued the warning after receiving information from the field about repeated incidents of irresponsible or reckless changing of lanes along EDSA. Read more

Petron E10 Premium Proven on Top Car Makes

Petron E10 Premium, the new ethanol blend of oil industry leader Petron Corporation, was recently proven in a media test drive using the country’s top car brands — Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota. The Petron E10 Premium Run set a milestone as it brought together the top four automobile manufacturers and various media personalities, as the high-performance, eco-friendly Petron E10 Premium in a host of different cars and diverse driving conditions.

The Petron E10 Premium Run consisted of four legs — a CannonBall Run through Metro Manila, a Sampaguita Run on NLEX, a Speed Trap at SCTEX, and a Navigator’s Run in Subic. Each leg of the Petron E10 run was judged on a point system, with a triumphant Nissan Sentra driven by Lester Dizon (Motorcycle Magazine) and Dino Directo (Manila Standard Today) finishing as overall champion. Garnering silver honors was a Toyota Altis captained by the team of John Nieves and Val Villamar of Gadgets Magazine. Taking the bronze medal was a Honda City piloted by the team of JR Langit (Kasangga Mo Ang Langit, IBC 13) and Cristy Dailo (DWIZ-Aliw Broadcasting Corporation Auto Radyo). Coming in at fourth place was a Mitsubishi Lancer driven by Ferman Lao (Kotse.com) and Charles Custodio (Top Gear Magazine), while in fifth place was the Nissan Livina of Angelo Almonte and Ricky Velasco (DZMM Radyo Patrol). Read more

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