DENR Grants 8M for CSU G'S Nipa Stands for Bio-Ethanol Production and Climate Change Migration Project

By Office of the President

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Posted on March 21, 2019

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University President Urdujah A. Tejada and CSU Gonzaga’s Campus Executive Officer Froilan A. Pacris received a check amounting to 8M pesos from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last March 19, 2019.

The financial grant was accorded to CSU Gonzaga for the optimization of the research project entitled: “Planting, Restoration, Maintenance, and Preservation of Nipa Stands for Bioethanol Production and Climate Change Mitigation” which is a component of the Community Empowerment Thru Science, Technology, Education, Environmental Protection, and Health (CESTEEPH) Program.

The project strives to aid in the shortage of locally produced bioethanol in the country by establishing 60 hectares of enhanced planting for Nipa and 50 hectares of new nipa plantation, which is identified as a good alternative for bioethanol production.

The project seeks to support the attainment of Republic Act No. 9367 or otherwise known as the Biofuels Act of 2006 that mandates gasoline stations to incorporate 10% of bioethanol to gasoline, and to double the blend to 20% by 2020. The Republic Act endeavors to minimize the effects of climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas emission.

The 2-year project will cover the municipalities of Gonzaga, Buguey, Santa Ana, Santa Teresita, Aparri, Abulug, Sanchez Mira, and Pamplona. Aside from DENR, the project is in partnership with Ilocos Norte’s Mariano Marcos State University–National Bio-Energy Research and Innovation Center (MMSU–NBERIC), Department of Science and Technology Region 02 who vouched for 1.6 M pesos for the project, and Goodfellow Pharma Corporation who also accorded 800,000 pesos for the actualization of the project.