THE Department of Energy (DOE) is considering requiring sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to account for at least 1 to 2 percent of aviation fuel use in the Philippines by 2030 to encourage local production.
DOE Undersecretary Alessandro Sales said in an interview at the Asean Energy Business Forum in Manila on Tuesday that the proposed requirement had been discussed by the National Biofuels Board.
SAF is an alternative to conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. It can be produced from renewable and waste materials, including used oils, fats and agricultural biomass, or through synthetic processes.
Sales said the proposed mandate could help develop a Philippine SAF industry using locally available agricultural materials. The initial target, however, would depend on feedstock availability and investor interest, which a dedicated National Biofuels Board committee is assessing.
Although SAF is initially expensive, Sales said a 2030 mandate would give producers three to four years to build local supply.
Establishing processing facilities in the Philippines or elsewhere in Asean could also help bring costs down and make SAF more competitive.
“The region can be a demand center, buyer and producer, but this will require more collaboration with our neighbors,” Sales said.
Forum participants also explored the possibility of establishing an Asean SAF hub. A joint Canadian-Asean study released in April 2025 identified the region’s abundant agricultural feedstocks as a resource for developing the industry.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said growing air travel made SAF increasingly important to reducing aviation’s carbon footprint.
“SAF is a vital part of aviation’s decarbonization, and an economic and industrial opportunity for Asean,” she said in her address at the forum.
“Asean brings together potential feedstock resources, expanding clean energy industries, manufacturing capabilities and a strategic location along major international aviation routes. These strengths give the region the potential to become an important part of the global SAF value chain,” she noted.
