SEVERAL environmental groups staged a protest in front of a large oil and fuel corporation in Mandaue City to stop its impending plan to construct fossil gas power plants in Lapu-Lapu and other areas in the Visayas.
Members of Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) Visayas Chapter, Asian Energy Network, Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), women group Oriang, and the Sanlakas Party-list gathered in front of the San Miguel Brewery Inc. in Tipolo, Mandaue City for a rally on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
Lito Vasquez, the country staff of APMDD and spokesperson of the group, said they primarily organized the rally to call for San Miguel Corporation (SMC) to stop its plan to develop the 600 megawatts (MW) LNG Combined Cycle Power Plant project.
The power plant is a project of Converge Power Generation Corporation (CPGC), a subsidiary of SMC, and will be situated on Mactan Island.
According to CPGC, its facility will be built over five years, starting in the third quarter of 2022, and testing and commissioning will take place in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Vasquez and his group said they would have a dialogue with Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan to convince him to oppose the 600 MW LNG Combined Cycle Power Plant project.
They also intend to give awareness activities regarding the environmental and social impact of the proposed project at the Virgen dela Regla National Shrine and the areas near the project site in Barangays Poblacion and Looc in Lapu-Lapu.
The protest activities will also serve as the launching of the "Break Free Pilipinas" campaign nationwide, a Philippine chapter of Asia's Dirty Companies (ADC) campaign that aims to demand big companies such as SMC to stop investing in coal, fossil fuels, and gas.
Other power plants they are opposing include the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) power plant in Tabango in Leyte and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental.
All of these projects are under the business development plans of SMC.
Vasquez and his group urged the people to cooperate and demand the government to reject these power plant projects.
Otherwise, he said people would bear the brunt of global warming aftereffects, such as the sea-level rise and extreme weather conditions like super typhoons.
Asked for comment, the SMC said it would first consult its business department regarding the matter. (HIC)