CEBU, Philippines - Citing employment and business opportunities for the residents of Naga, members of the city council have unanimously approved a resolution expressing full support to the ongoing construction of two modern coal-fired power plants in barangay Colon.
“The campaign by the environmentalists has unfairly placed the City of Naga in a negative light and adversely affects the city’s economic development,” the council said.
In Resolution No. 035-A-2009, the council noted that the Notice to Sue sent to the local government of Naga by a group of environmentalists was meant to stop the ongoing construction of two modern coal-fired power plants that will supply the province and the rest of the Visayas with affordable and reliable source of electricity.
Further, the council said a report from the City Health Office dated Sept. 17, 2009 states that there are no recorded reports from barangay health workers, midwives and barangay officials on complaints from residents about skin diseases related to alleged indiscriminate dumping of coal ash.
The move was approved by Mayor Valdemar Chiong who earlier had a dialogue with some 2,000 residents who staged a rally in favor of the Kepco-Salcon Power Corp. plants.
Chiong earlier said that the municipal government can generate revenues between P20 million to P30 million annually for the payment of real property taxes alone by KSPC, whose property is more or less valued at around $20 billion.Chiong said that this is aside from the 1,500 jobs it generated.
KSPC corporate secretary and legal counsel Guillermo Dabbay Jr. said that KSPC implemented an environment management plan even during the construction phase that complies with regulations of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to maintain the quality of the physical, biological and social environment.
“Despite the noise against our envisioned 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant generated by non-Nagahanons, we remain undaunted in our commitment to uplift the living conditions of local residents and the rest of Cebu,” Dabbay added.
Meanwhile, environmentalists say they are now bent on filing charges against government officials for not taking action against the coal-fired power plants in Naga.
Lawyer Gloria Estenzo Ramos of the Global Legal Action on Climate Change said in a press conference yesterday that they are now preparing the documents for the criminal and administrative charges against government officials and those directly involved in the project.
According to the environmental group, these government officials violated the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the Local Government Code when they allegedly allowed the “open” and “indiscriminate dumping” of fly ash by Kepco.
The power plants are set to be operational in 2011.
Vince Cinches, secretary general of the Fisherfolk Development Center also said they are going to file a case before the Regional Trial Court in connection with the memorandum of agreement signed by the provincial government and Kepco.
Also, they will file another case before the Supreme Court asking it to issue an injunction against the use of “dirty energy”.— Mitchelle L. Calipayan and Liv G. Campo/BRP (FREEMAN NEWS)