Palma urges leaders, flock to ‘protect God’s creation’

CEBU, Philippines - In time of the observance of the biggest lights-off event “Earth Hour” yesterday, local environmental advocates and Church leaders brought to limelight one of the key environmental issues in Cebu City – the proposed establishment of the coal-fired power plant in Barangay Sawang Calero.

Various pro-environment groups and faith-based organizations gathered yesterday afternoon in a discussion that centered on the cost of establishing coal-fired power plants and its implications to climate change.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, the event’s keynote speaker, underscored that this non-renewable energy source is not the solution as it destroys the environment and affects the health of humanity, noting that its impact to environment and human health is disturbing.

The 67-year-old prelate, who has openly opposed the project, recognizes the current struggle confronting the community in downtown Cebu City, thus offering solution to political leaders that for him are attainable if only they act on it.

“Our government and business leaders in Cebu Island should consider the possibility of crafting renewable energy plan for the province. As the province is moving forward with its own development agenda, it should always consider a pro-people and pro-environment energy plan,” he said.

Palma noted that other neighboring islands have even implemented renewable energy transition and solutions like the solar farms and geothermal plants in Negros and Leyte islands.

For him, these practices too may be replicated in the province or it may choose to forge agreements with these areas to facilitate renewable energy grid-connection.

In terms of policy decisions, Palma recommended to legislators to commit on making Cebu an eco-sustainable province by rejecting profit-driven businesses in the guise of development such as coal-fired power plants.

Palma said the project’s proponents may have seen the seeming economic benefits of their proposal that it can create jobs and benefit the economic situation of the surrounding localities or the city.

“(But) we are also convinced as a community that such project will surely destroy our environment, coal being the primary contributor to global warming. We cannot sacrifice the health of the people and the impact to the environment with the business profit of the company who are pushing for the construction of the project,” he said.

The Cebu Archdiocese leader also reflected on Pope Francis’ encyclical letter on the environment and human ecology entitled “Laudato Si,” which for him is a reminder to people “to take care of God’s creation.”

“The reality of the ecological crisis should convince our political and institutional leaders to seriously respond to the challenges of "Laudato Si" by stopping the construction of coal-fired power plants, transition and embrace the new renewable energy models and respond to climate adaptation challenges,” Palma said.

“Every individual has a right to live in healthful and balanced ecology. Our government, much more so our local government, must guarantee that the health of the citizens is safeguarded from polluting industries, like the coal-fired power plants,” he added.

He also shared some key learning principles in caring for the environment such as changing the framework of development “from profit-over-people to people-over-profit or environment-over-profit.”

“We are created by God, and exist together with all other creatures (but) we have destroyed creation, failing to take care of the gift of creation. The Earth now cries for the destruction, and the poor continues to suffer more and more because of selfishness,” he said.

“We have to restore creation, renew our commitment to protect our planet.  For this, a conversion of every individual and of groups and institutions at every level, from local communities to global humanity, (is needed),” he said further.

As he concluded his talk, Palma urged people to “be protectors of creation” by sustaining one’s ecological faith and to continue to pray for local leaders, that they may also be "protectors of God's plan.” —/GAN (FREEMAN)