USGC helps promote ethanol in the Philippines
Summary
The U.S. Grains Council’s Southeast Asia and Oceania office recently spent a week in Ilocos Norte, Philippines, surveying community ethanol development programs and research infrastructure with memorandum of understanding (MOU) partner Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU). USGC and MMSU – which houses the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported National Bioenergy Research & Innovation Centre (NBERIC) – signed an MOU in July 2022 to cooperate on the exchange of knowledge, technical information and best practices related to ethanol industry and policy development in the Philippines. “Our visit to MMSU allowed us to view first-hand the impressive work NBERIC has completed to date in promoting bioethanol as a tool to increase rural incomes and better understand where we can best support this programming,” said Chris Markey, USGC assistant regional director for Southeast Asia and Oceania. “USGC is excited to continue this partnership into 2023 as we look ahead to joint programs that will involve a diverse group of bioenergy stakeholders in the Philippines.” The visit also provided an opportunity for USGC and MMSU to assess potential collaborations on animal feed programming, particularly in the space of education and capacity building at both the university and throughout Ilocos Norte Province. The Philippines implemented an E10 mandate in 2011 and is currently evaluating an expansion of the fuel ethanol policy.