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HINILING ng mga residente, local, at national clean energy advocacy groups na ideklarang ‘renewable energy’ ang munisipalidad ng Tagkawayan sa Quezon, at nagbabala laban sa ‘coal-fired power plant project sa bayan.
Ang panawagan ay pinangunahan ng Quezon for Environment (QUEEN), makaraang gumawa ng liham para kina Tagkawayan Mayor Carlo Eleazar, Vice Mayor Danny Liwanag, at ng Sangguniang Bayan sa pamamagitan ni Secretary Carlo Magno.
“We have been informed through letter exchanges with the Department of Energy (DOE) that the 1,200 MW Quezon Coal-fired Thermal Plant Project by Orion Pacific Prime Energy Inc., located in Tagkawayan, Quezon is still in ‘ongoing review’ to determine if it’s exempted from the DOE’s coal moratorium advisory,” nakasaad sa liham ni QUEEN convenor Fr. Warren Puno.
“We question the ‘ongoing review’ status of the project as we are also aware that the Tagkawayan local government unit (LGU) has not issued an endorsement for the project, hence the project should be covered by the coal moratorium and marked as ‘discontinued’,” ayon pa sa liham.
Nabatid na ang Tagkawayan plant ay isa sa dalawang natitirang proyekto ng karbon sa ‘pipeline’ ng Quezon, matapos kanselahin ang mga tagapagtaguyod nitong taon dahil sa pagsalungat ng mga residente at sa mga kinaharap na paghamon nang ianunsiyo ang ‘coal moratorium’ noong October 2020.
“We are grateful that your honorable office remains strong in its position to reject the proposed coal-fired power plant. We stand with you in promoting a renewable energy municipality which embraces only clean, affordable, and renewable energy,” dagdag sa liham na may kalakip na kahilingan sa local government leaders na mag-isyu ng executive order at ordinansa na idedeklarang ‘fossil-free’ at ‘renewable energy municipality’ ang Tagkawayan.
Nakiisa sa panawagan ng QUEEN ang mga kinatawan mula sa Ecology Ministry of the Diocese of Gumaca, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Tagkawayan para sa Kalikasan, Seedling Foundation, Kabataan para sa Kalikasan ng Atimonan, Tanggol Kalikasan, at national groups na Philippine Movement for Climate Justice and Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED).’
Hinimok nila ang municipal government na ipreserba ang yaman ng kalikasan sa Tagkawayan at protektahan ang kanilang mga residente na malantad mula sa mapanganib at nakamamatay at magastos na “coal-fired power plant projects.”
“While the people of Quezon have already suffered much from currently operating coal-fired power plants, the recent cancellation of several projects provides hope that a truly clean energy future for the province can come sooner than thought possible before. In the context of worsening climate change, deadly coal pollution, and unreliable electricity from coal, we are hopeful that the municipal government of Tagkawayan can take the lead in making such a future happen,” dagdag ni Avril De Torres, Research, Policy, and Law head ng CEED.
