PHILIPPINE FUEL ethanol imports are projected to rise 20% to 450 million liters in 2025, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA, citing its Foreign Agriculture Service representatives based in Manila, said Philippine fuel ethanol production is forecast to rise 2% to 390 million liters as “feedstock problems remain.”
“There’s no immediate solution to insufficient feedstocks for fuel ethanol consumption,” it said.
It noted that in 2024, domestic producers supplied around 50% of the bioethanol requirement for blending into biofuel.
As of March 2025, there were 14 accredited Philippine bioethanol producers, with a total production capacity of 508 million liters per year (MLPY).
However, three facilities were non-operational, reducing capacity to 396 MLPY, the USDA said.
It noted that in the Philippines, fuel companies can only import ethanol during shortages, “a condition that should continue due to insufficient feedstock.”
The Biofuels Act of 2006 requires all liquid fuel to contain a biofuel component. The blend was 3% in October 2024. It also bars imports of biodiesel. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
