PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certified as urgent a measure seeking to amend the Biofuels Act of 2006 to address the high cost of petroleum products. In a letter to Senate President Vicente Sotto III dated March 16, Marcos called for the immediate enactment of Senate Bill 1965, which seeks to tweak Section 5 of the law. The amendments would temporarily suspend or adjust the mandatory biofuel blending requirements to permit the use of lower-cost imported bioethanol, which is often cheaper than domestic alternatives. The bill also allows the president to reduce or waive the mandatory 10-percent bioethanol (E10) and 2-percent biodiesel (B2) blending requirements if the blended fuel is at least 5 percent more expensive than pure petroleum. It also allocates proceeds from tariffs on petroleum products during the period to be used for social amelioration programs for farmers and workers in the domestic biofuels industry. The Biofuels Act of 2006 prescribes the blending of bioethanol with gasoline and biodiesel with diesel to promote renewable energy, support local agriculture, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier this month, Marcos also certified as urgent a proposed measure in the House of Representatives, House Bill 8418, that would grant him emergency powers to suspend or reduce excise taxes on fuel during national or global emergencies for not longer than six months. It also authorizes the government to address “extraordinary fuel price volatility and stabilize domestic fuel prices during the period of severe economic disruptions.” The war in the Middle East, launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28, has spread across the region and caused global pump prices to spike in double-digits.