Tuesday, April 08, 2008 Church to spearhead forum on coal-fired power project
A CATHOLIC Church-led multi-sectoral forum on the proposed coal-fired power plant in Maitum, Sarangani will be held next week, a local official said Friday.
Elizabeth R. Palma Gil, Maitum information officer, said the one-day forum is slated on April 12 and will also tackle coal mining in the area.
She said the invited resource speakers are from environmental group Greenpeace, the independent power producer Southern Philippines Power Corp., the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR0, and the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan.
Conal Holdings Corp., which is 60 percent controlled by Alsons Corp. and the rest by Thailand's biggest power producer Electricity Generating Public Company (Egco), has said Maitum is being considered to host its planned $350 million coal-fired power plant.
Joseph C. Nocos, Alsons' spokesperson for the coal-fired power plant project, has yet to give the latest project updates although he earlier stated that the feasibility study for the 200-megawatt power plant should have been completed last month.
Mayor Elsie R. Perret said residents are wary of the coal-fired power plant project.
"So far, the sentiment of the people is in a wait and see mode. Our people have still to see or understand the good the coal-fired power plant will bring to the locality or how environmentally friendly it will be," she said.
Maitum is a sleepy coastal town long promoted by local officials as an eco-tourism destination of Sarangani province, with river tire-tubing adventure as main attraction.
Perret said they are apprehensive over the impact of the coal-fired power plant project to their environment.
But Nocos gave assurances that the plant would be "environmentally friendly," citing advanced available technologies and the company's plan to pursue on massive tree planting activities.
Aside from Maitum, Nocos said they are also considering as location for the power plant the town of Kiamba, also in Sarangani, and some sites in Davao del Sur province.
