WWF’s ‘Seize your Power’ launched

MANILA, Philippines - A group of environmentalists has launched a campaign that called on financial institutions, private investors, pension funds and governments to invest in clean and affordable renewable energy sources and divest from dirty and expensive fossil-fuel plants.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) recently launched its “Seize Your Power” at the Mendoza Park of Puerto Princesa City. The event gathered over 500 representatives from the city and its neighboring municipalities of Aborlan and Narra.

Palawan was chosen as one of the campaign’s iconic places due to its exceptional levels of biodiversity and biological productivity. The province’s rich resources are currently threatened by a plan to construct a coal-fired power plant in Aborlan.

“Palawan can become an example for the rest of the country by veering from outdated, business-as-usual thinking and embracing future practices – particularly the use of locally abundant renewable energy resources. The question has never been whether Palawan should develop – but how it should develop,” said WWF-Philippines vice chairperson and CEO Lory Tan.

Meanwhile, Provincial Economics Affairs adviser Caesar Ventura said,  â€œPalawan is rapidly developing, thus our rising need for power. We’re just waiting for renewable energy investors to approach so we can finally fund local projects.”

 Renewable energy projects like mini-hydropower plants have been proposed for Puerto Princesa, Narra and Aborlan since 2010. Unfortunately, the mini-hydro projects have been unable to obtain contracts with local distributor PALECO. Despite obtaining all other requirements, they have been unable to start generating power for the people of Palawan.

“These mini-hydro projects will sell cheaper power than the planned coal plant. Why should Palaweños buy expensive, dirty energy when cheaper and cleaner alternatives are already available? The extra expense will not just be incurred by Palaweños, but by the rest of the country,” said executive director of the Environmental Legal Assistance Center and Palawan Alliance for Clean Energy lead convener Atty. Gerthie Mayo-Anda.

Under the rules of the National Power Corp.’s special power utilities group, non-grid-connected areas like Palawan shall have portions of their electricity cost subsidized by both the national government and consumers.

First proposed for the municipality of Narra, the coal plant faced such united local opposition that the company was forced to look for a different site – one of which is in the municipality of Aborlan. The proposed site in Narra would have directly impacted the Rasa Wildlife Sanctuary, home of the world’s largest nesting population of the critically endangered katala or Philippine cockatoo.

“The proposed coal plant would have impeded the flight path of hundreds of Philippine cockatoos from Rasa Island to the mainland, where they fly each morning to forage. This would have had grave impacts on the katala’s breeding population, putting years of conservation work to protect this iconic species in peril,” said Katala Foundation’s Indira Lacerna-Widmann.

The proposal was subsequently moved to Aborlan, where a massive protest was held last Sept. 30. Over 1,500 people – ranging from Western Palawan University students to members of the academe and local stakeholders – united to oppose the coal plant.

Palawan is currently considered a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve and hosts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Tubbataha Reefs and the Puerto Princesa Underground River. The island was also recently named by the tourism industry as one of the best islands in the world.