Barring any hitches, Bohol will soon most likely be the country’s first commercial producer of gasoline additive from seaweeds.

This, after Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado, accompanied by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Country Director In Kim and Seoul, Korea-based Biolsystems Co., Ltd. President, Gyungsoo Kim, Ph.D., met with Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro and Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) Deputy Executive Director Raul Sabularse at the DOST office in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Earlier, in mid-July of this year, Dr. Kim and Aumentado had signed, with Korean Ambassador Joong-Jyung Choi, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Tagbilaran City, for Bohol to allocate areas in its jurisdictional seawaters for a seed bank, and experimental and plantation area for red algae of the cottonii variety.

The MoU also indicates that the province shall provide 60 hectares within the Talibon Special Economic Zone where Biolsystems will establish a US$100 - US$150 million extraction plant, as well as quarters for its workers,

The meeting between Aumentado, the KOICA Country Director and Dr. Kim and DOST Secretary Alabastro and PCIERD Deputy Executive Director Sabularse was to ensure that said Korean-supported project falls within policies and guidelines set by DOST and department PCIERD where it concerns the exploitation of natural resources and the development of alternative fuels.

Aumentado and the Korean principals will also be meeting with Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes later this week for similar guidance.

In the Bohol project, Biolsystems will purchase harvest to extract bio-ethanol from algae using technology for which Dr. Kim has a worldwide patent. He assured Aumentado and the Boholanos that his facility is environment-friendly. Its biomass byproduct will be used for power generation while the residue will be for organic fertilizer.

Dr. Kim also heads Algahol Philippines Corp. which is now initially studying seawaters off Talibon, and surveying and staking out the plantation areas. The company has procured buoys, ropes, boats and other equipment for delivery to its office compound in Barangay San Jose, Talibon shortly.

Last October 24, Ambassador Choi returned to Bohol for the inauguration of the Algahol Philippines Corp. office and groundbreaking for another Korean-supported project, an ultramodern rice processing complex in Pilar town, together with Korea’s Senior Presidential Economic Adviser and National Competitiveness Council Chair Mansoo Kang.