By Jonathan L. Mayuga -September
7, 2018
Anti-coal activists slammed the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for allegedly allowing a
business-as-usual attitude in allowing proponents of coal projects to continue
operating in the country.
On Thursday representatives of
coal-affected communities, electric consumers, environmental and climate
justice activists stormed DENR offices in various parts of the country to urge
Secretary Roy A. Cimatu and other local officials to stop “coal obsession” and
heed the demand of 89 percent of Filipinos who reject dirty coal as an energy
source.
The groups cited a recently released
Pulse Asia survey that says almost 9 out of 10 Filipinos prefer a shift to
shift to renewable energy (RE) sources.
Currently,
the Philippines houses 28 operational coal plants and 28 more coal
projects are in the pipeline.
The DENR is expected to play a major
role in the issuance of environmental compliance certificate especially
those projects waiting for approval for construction.
Participants of a national day of
action against coal said that the DENR’s current position on the issue does not
only worsen the current state of the Philippine environment but also enables a
rise in electricity prices all over the country.
Mercy Donor of Piglas Kababaihan
also chided the Department of Energy for promoting coal use, which, she
said, adds burden to the poor. Worse, she said, the DENR allows this to
happen by issuing permits for more coal plants to be constructed.
“The negative impacts of coal are
being felt by every consumer and much more by the communities living in the
coal sites,” said Teody Navea of Cebu City.
“The resistance against coal is
growing in many parts of the country. Aside from killing us with every breath
we take, these coal plants are stealing money from our pockets…[from] our
electricity bills,” added Navea.
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