Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said on Saturday that she would seek from China supply of transport energy like the compressed natural gas (CNG).

She said that a group of Philippine bus operators will accompany her to China to look for Chinese companies that could supply compressed natural gas for "pilot testing" in the Philippines.

Arroyo said that CNG can substitute for fuel oil which is becoming more and more expensive, besides being environment friendly.

She plans to have up to 2,000 bus using CNG plying the country' s road network in the next few years.

Philippine land transport authorities says it expects 200 CNG-fed buses to be running in the Metro Manila region next year.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2004)