By: Gabriel Cardinoza - 05:18 AM
March 13, 2019
SAN JUAN, La Union — This surfing
town is now off-limits to coal-fired power plants.
In a bid to preserve biodiversity
and protect the health of residents, the municipal council on Monday banned the
construction, development and operation of coal-fired power plants in the town.
In a resolution that was unanimously
approved during Monday’s session, the council said coal-fired power plants had
been scientifically proven to produce hazardous pollutants that destroy the
environment and affect people’s health and livelihood.
It was authored by Councilor Miguel
Corleone Magsaysay, chair of the council’s committee on tourism, culture,
history, sisterhood and international relations.
Inspiration
“The approval of the resolution is a
big contribution to our fight against the Luna coal-fired power plant,”
Crisanto Palabay, president of the Koalisyon Isalbar ti Pintas ti La Union
(Coalition to Save the Beauty of La Union), referring to the campaign by
residents of nearby Luna town to ban polluting power plants.
“This is an inspiration not only for
those who are in the movement but to councilors in other towns and cities to
push for the use of renewable energy,” he said.
The resolution also called on other
local governments in the province to adopt the same declaration “for the
protection and conservation of the environment” and prevention of health
hazards.
Since 2017, the coalition has been
opposing the 670-megawatt power plant project proposed by Global Luzon Energy
Development Corp., which will be built on a 41-hectare land straddling the
coastal villages of Carisquis and Nalvo Sur in Luna.
Church opposition
Last month, San Fernando Bishop
Daniel Presto urged the government to drop its plan to build the P80-billion
coal-fired power plant.
In a manifesto read in all Masses,
Presto said the temporary economic benefits from the operation of such plants
were not acceptable trade-offs for long-term degradation of the environment.
The project site is just north of
Balaoan town, which is known for its bountiful corn harvests and diverse coral
gardens, and this town, the surfing capital of northern Luzon.
In January, members of the Manila
Surfers Association (MSA) expressed their support for the residents’ opposition
to the project. They staged a protest action before the start of this year’s
12th MSA Cup, which was participated in by 100 surfers.
In the resolution, the town council
said San Juan’s beaches, marine sanctuaries, mountains and forests had
attracted tourists and contributed to the town’s economic growth and
livelihood.
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