MANILA, Philippines -- With oil prices soaring in the world market, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has urged car manufacturers to produce the more fuel-efficient hybrid cars.

At the opening program of the 2nd Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) at the World Trade Center in Pasay City Thursday, she also asked the members of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) to use their "influence" to ask the Senate to pass the renewable energy bill, which has been approved at the House of Representatives.

"The search for cheaper and cleaner fuel has become a necessity not only because we want cleaner motoring but also in the light of the worsening global environment, environment both in terms of the ecology and the economy, and the increased pressure on economies that have little or no energy sources of their own," said the President.

Arroyo said hybrid models did not only comply with the Clean Air Act but were also fuel efficient.

"The automotive industry of the Philippines produces hybrid models producing flexi-fuel engines that blend ethanol with gasoline fuel. We await the hybrid models that shift from gasoline fuel to electric power at the touch of a button," she said.

She assured the automotive industry of continued government support by curbing smuggling of cars, which posed unfair competition to car manufactures.

She said she has also instructed in March the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Customs to form a government-civil society body called PORTAL or Ports Transparency Alliance to monitor collection efforts, gather lifestyle and corruption information, and follow up major evasion or smuggling cases.