Roberto Montelibano, president of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, yesterday said the use of land in Negros Occidental for the planting jatropha and sugarcane for biofuels will not imperil the country's food supply because what will be used are abandoned, not existing agricultural lands.

Senator Miriam Santiago, author of the Biofuels Act of 2007 in the Senate, has sought more governmental oversight powers over biofuel development saying that biofuels could adversely affect the country's ability to produce its own food.

The use of land for jatropha and sugarcane for biofuels will not compete with the food needs of the country because what is being used are abandoned land, Montelibano said.

The Philippines has 6 million hectares of abandoned lands, most of which are logged over areas, he said.

In Negros Occidental 540,000 hectares of such that are mostly cogonal exists, he said, and “we are pushing for the use of abandoned lands for jatropha.”

Negros Occidental has offered 30,000 hectares of such land for the planting of jatropha to PhilForest, a subsidiary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, he said.

Montelibano said he has planted jatropha on a 12-hectare model area in Murcia , Negros Occidental, which is very little.

As for ethanol from sugarcane, Montelibano said the Sugar Regulatory Administration is identifying areas beyond those used for the production of sugar for food.

“There is no cause for concern as far as sugar is concerned,” SRA Administrator Rafael Coscolluela also said.*CPG

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