WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 7638, "An Act Creating the Department of Energy (DOE)", tasks the DOE to formulate rules and regulations as may be necessary to guide the operators of both government and private entities involved in energy resource supply and distribution;

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. (R.A.) 8479, otherwise known as the "Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998", applies to all persons or entities engaged in any and all activities of the domestic downstream oil industry and mandates the Department of Energy (DOE) to promote the entry of new industry participants;

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 7638 ("Department of Energy Act of 1992") vests upon the Department of Energy ("DOE") the power to formulate rules and regulations for the transportation and distribution of all forms of energy products;

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 8479 ("Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998") requires the DOE to monitor the refining, manufacturing and marketing processes of petroleum products to ensure that clean and safe technologies are applied;

WHEREAS, there is a regional/global thrust towards harmonizing fuel quality standard specifications for easier global/international trade;

WHEREAS, Section 5 (K) of Republic Act No. 7638 otherwise known as the "Department of Energy (DOE) Act of 1992," empowers the DOE to promulgate necessary rules and regulations to implement the objectives of the Act among which is the integration and rationalization of the various programs of the Government towards self-sufficiency and enhanced productivity in power and energy without sacrificing ecological concerns;