The Department of Agriculture (DA) has expressed support for a proposal to raise the current biodiesel blend level from three percent to five percent to help ease the impact of higher fuel prices on motorists.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said he is endorsing the policy resolution of the public-private Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), which calls for an immediate transition to a five-percent biodiesel blend, or B5.

PCAF, through its National Sectoral Committee (NSC) on Coconut, said in a resolution dated March 11 that it recommends the shift to B5 to improve fuel mileage at a time of elevated fuel prices.

While the advisory body noted that this is not a “quick fix” for high fuel prices, the transition to B5 would enable motorists to gradually reduce their fuel expenses over time, as the higher coconut-based biodiesel content improves mileage efficiency per liter.

The increase to B5 was slated for October this year, but this is now in doubt because the current biodiesel blend level remains at three percent, or B3.

The Department of Energy (DOE) issued an advisory last year suspending the implementation of B4 and B5 following the recommendation of the National Biofuels Board (NBB).

NBB, chaired by the DOE Secretary, proposed the suspension following a 300-percent spike in global coconut oil prices.

Coconut oil is the main feedstock for coco methyl ester (CME), which is the raw material blended with diesel to produce biofuel. Compared with conventional petroleum diesel, CME produces significantly lower sulfur and greenhouse gas emissions.

The DA said current market conditions are now favorable not only for lifting the suspension but also for fast-tracking the implementation of the higher biodiesel blend to generate greater value for the coconut sector.

Tiu Laurel said expanding CME demand would provide higher incomes for up to 3.5 million coconut farmers while also maximizing the sector’s production capacity.

“At the same time, this shift strengthens the country’s energy security and self-reliance by reducing dependence on imported fuels and making better use of a homegrown renewable resource,” he added.

According to the DA, Tiu Laurel has already submitted PCAF’s resolution to Senator Kiko Pangilinan, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform, and DOE Secretary Sharon Garin.

Under the Biofuels Act, the domestic oil industry is required to incorporate locally sourced biofuels into all liquid fuels for motors and engines to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuels and revitalize the domestic coconut industry.

The government first implemented B1 in 2007, later increasing it to B2 in 2011 and then to the current B3 level in 2024.