Diesel in the Philippines from a foreigner's perspective

[Doc Diesel]

"If you want to experience the depth of problems caused by (dirty) diesel exhausts, you need to visit a city like Manila on the outskirts of which I live. All the busses, trucks, and medium-sized people-movers are diesel powered as are about half the private vehicles. (There are also many 2-cycle motor tricycles.) Here, the level of infant asthma is staggering - something like 60% I was recently told by a pediatrician. I don't have any figures for lung cancer and, with a nearly non-existent public health service, there probably are few accurate statistics available. On a subjective basis, I have seen visibility on an otherwise
clear day reduced to 50 meters or less by concentrated diesel exhausts. People walk the streets with handkerchiefs over their faces much of the time. If I travel into the city for a day I cough for three days afterwards. Now, if adding a percentage of biodiesel could alleviate even half of these symptoms, it would be very well worthwhile.

One problem, in countries like the Philippines, is the low cost of fuel. It is currently around 30 cents US per liter for 'high-sulfur' diesel and no government has the political will to enforce higher fuel quality or lower emissions, either of which would be perceived as lowering the standard of living. With the price of petro-diesel thus pegged, it is difficult to imagine how bio-diesel production could be sustainable. All suggestions gratefully received!"

got this from another forum..

Doc Diesel

[boybi]

no government has the political will to enforce higher fuel quality or lower emissions, either of which would be perceived as lowering the standard of living.

kalaban kasi ng government dito mga public transport operators and drivers. malaking epekto ito sa election results.

[pajerokid]

Yup. Tama si Brod Boybi. Primary objective of any politician here is to perpetuate his or his family members' term. A pity.

[rsnald]

To give you guys an idea of how pollution causing our diesel is, the sulfur content of our current diesel is about 0.10 -.15%, maybe maxing out at about 0.2%, some say even 0.5%.

Sa U.S., ang allowed limit lang e, 0.05%. But they have plans to reduce this to a staggering 0.005%, which by the way is already the standard adopted in some European Nations and Japan.

Milya milya ang layo ng standard ng diesel natin. Kaya yung mga hi-tech na diesel engine ng VW and italian cars - maybe including that of the trooper, di pwede dito sa 'tin. mistulang basura ang fuel natin.

[Bubbles]

Solution is biodiesel. And we, the diesel club must be responsible. Change has to start somewhere. Why not start with us. We must show that we are responsible diesel users. The poor cant afford the price of biodiesel but we can. and we can keep our rigs from spewing black smoke.

Tama na BS, I feel like a priest na preaching the word of the diesel gods

[splerdu]

> which by the way is already the standard adopted in some European Nations and Japan.

Sulfur figures are actually misleading. From what i know the JIS standard for sulfur levels in diesel is not very high, but the fuel itself is available with very low sulfur levels.

The cleanest diesel is available in Sweden and Germany, with 10ppm sulfur. Current standards in the US and EU allow up to 500ppm, with plans to move to 15ppm by 2010.

[ondoy]

Excerpts from Petron's Information Statement (SEC Form 17-IS) for its Annual Stockholder's meeting on 28 July 2003:

"In compliance with Clean Air Act, the Refinery started supplying unleaded gasoline with 35% aromatics and 2% benzene in November 2002. By 2004, an additional 22 MBCD Gas Oil Hydrotreater will be onstream to desulfurize automotive diesel down to 0.05% sulfur level. Etc........."

So it appears Petron is ontrack towards compliance with the Clean Air Act, assuming the foregoing is true.

[roydok]

As I heared in the news some months back starting Jan. 1, '04 all diesels sold in the Phils will comply with the 0.05% sulfur level limit as per implementation of the Clean Air Act.

[Doc Diesel]

the big question is, will all those lowering sulfur content promises come true?

we all know lowering those would mean re-tooling their plants at a very costly price.

Doc Diesel

[boybi]

it really depends on the political will of the government. if they will be strict in their enforcement, then the oil companies will have no choice but to comply else they will not be issued business permits.

[rsnald]

Originally posted by ondoy
"In compliance with Clean Air Act, the Refinery started supplying unleaded gasoline with 35% aromatics and 2% benzene in November 2002. By 2004, an additional 22 MBCD Gas Oil Hydrotreater will be onstream to desulfurize automotive diesel down to 0.05% sulfur level. Etc........."

So it appears Petron is ontrack towards compliance with the Clean Air Act, assuming the foregoing is true.

by that time, obsolete na yung 0.05% sulfure standard. 0.005% na nga ang plano sa U.S. and parts of Europe and Japan.

[boybi]

hindi talaga tayo makakasabay sa mga first world countries. kung sumabay tayo, saan nila dadalhin mga used engines nila?

[Bubbles]

Yup and pagsinabayan natin, the economy will suffer big time. di you know that 60% of the national budget goes to paying debt. then the 40 % is for everything else then another 60% in the pockets of our politicians.... but seriously, trying to catch up to the first world standards would cause fuel prices to go up. along with that comes strikes etc.etc.etc.

[Troyman]

all these are part of a vicious cycle which unfortunately we are in ...

economically speaking, the refiners cannot increase the prices of diesel which will be needed to supplement their costs in further refining the diesel fuels currently sold.

and this is the kind of diesel we have?!.... the costs just come out of our medical bills, on a personal level. on the economic level, this will be unproductive hours spent at home, sick. on a social level, its these snotty, hot-headed drivers plying our streets. on a political level, i dont see any detrimental effect because these are the very same people that should make and enforce the laws.

the solution i think, is political, to punish the ones in office by not voting for them again! in this way, we enjoy the essence of democracy (the right to suffrage)

para bang ang dali?! sana nga ...

[Bubbles]

Very good Troyman.
I agree. again, you enter a problem. how do you stop people from voting those who seem nice to them. those who give them food. those who give them money.

for example, a certain politician running for pres in the upcoming elections. His face seems mellow enough. Media likes him cause he does interviews readily.BUT look at his eyes. you see evil. you see anger. you see a man who will kill without hesitation. The eyes are the window of the soul. Even ERAP won't support him. I'm not for ERAP but if you look at his eyes you see a nice guy. and he is nice. he just made a big mistake. On the other hand, this other guy has really mean eyes.

Blind item. try to guess who this is.

[boybi]

Originally posted by Troyman
the solution i think, is political, to punish the ones in office by not voting for them again! in this way, we enjoy the essence of democracy (the right to suffrage)

ilan percent lang ba ang mga intelligent voters? wala pa sigurong 10%? so kahit lahat tayo hindi iboto ang mga tiwaling public officials, walang effect sa kanila yun. mas malaking percent ang vote ng masa. sino ba mga ito? the public transport sector and their families and relatives and friends. they were the ones who want to have the cheapes fuel even at the expense of their and their love ones' health.