Thirty passenger buses fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) are expected to operate within the year, in line with the Department of Science and Technology’s (DoST) Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport (NGVPPT).
Albert Mariño, senior science research specialist and manager of the Technology Assessment Utilization and Transfer Unit of the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) of the DoST, said "the 30 buses are expected to run on natural gas using original equipment of manufacturers (OEM)."
Mariño said that OEM is one of the four ways to convert gas- or diesel-fed engines to natural gas-fed.
"OEM means that the vehicles have been equipped for running on natural gas by their manufacturers in Japan or China," Mariño said.
According to Mariño, engines could also be converted to dual-fueled motors, which can run on a mixture of diesel and natural gas; bi-fueling, which allows the use of either gas or natural gas through a switch; and dedicated NGV, or complete natural gas-fed engines.
He said that the DoST will develop and promote locally manufactured components for, and training program on, the conversion of engines to natural gas-fed, their operations and maintenance, and initiate the construction of NGV refueling stations.
Natural gas is environment-friendly since it is a clean-burning fossil fuel with low sulfur oxide emissions. It is now widely used and promoted as an alternative fuel in Southeast Asia except in the Philippines.
Filipino inventor wins Parangal ng Bayan Award
By ROY C. MABASA
For helping countless Filipinos at this time of crisis, Pablo Planas, the inventor of a gas-saving device, bagged one of the major awards in the recent 20th Parangal ng Bayan and Consumers Excellence Awards last Friday in Makati City.
Planas won the Brand Excellence Award for the invention in ceremonies at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City.
The Parangal recognized the endless effort of Planas to help his fellow Filipinos cope with the spiraling oil prices and combat environmental pollution through his Khaos Super Turbo Charge gas-saving gizmo.
Aside from Planas, the Parangal organizers also awarded 10 Filipino achievers in various fields, including arts and culture, public service, science and technology, agriculture, social service and medicine technology.
"I knew from the very start that my countrymen would also recognize my effort to help our people through my inventions," Planas said.
Tests on Planas invention by the Department of Energy, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the gadget saves 15 to 50 percent in gasoline consumption and reduces harmful gas emission.
Since it was introduced to the Manila marker, the Khaos gas-saving device has captured the attention of around 50 countries.
Planas recently turned down a million-dollar offer from a US businessman for the rights to his invention. Spanish, Chinese, and Taiwanese businessmen have also made similar offers.
Planas, who used to operate six passenger mini-buses in the Manila suburban town of San Juan, invented the device at the height of the oil crisis in 1973.
