In support of the government’s efforts to curb smuggling, Petron Corporation, the country’s largest oil refining and marketing company, has started fuel marking at its refinery in Bataan on December 23. The Petron Bataan Refinery (PBR), which has a 180,000 barrel-per-day maximum capacity, is the largest refinery in the Philippines supplying nearly a third of the country’s fuel demand.
Likewise, Petron commenced fuel marking at its import facility in Misamis Oriental by year-end 2019.
“We are optimistic that the fuel marking program will significantly address fuel smuggling, which has been a constant deterrent to the continued growth of our economy. Consumers also stand to gain once everyone gets on board as it will ensure that all fuel products in the market will be legitimately sourced,” said Petron President and CEO Ramon S. Ang.
“These developments in our facilities testify to our firm commitment to support the government in their fight against smuggling. We also continue to work with their fuel marking team for the installation of the Automatic Injection System (AIS) in our refinery,” Mr. Ang added.
Echoing the sentiments of other Philippine Institute of Petroleum (PIP) members, Petron has consistently expressed its support for the fuel marking program provided that it is enforced on a level playing field. Since 2018, Petron has been in close coordination with concerned government agencies namely the Department of Finance (DOF), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and Bureau of Customs (BOC).