MANILA, Philippines -- The Greenpeace flagship, “Rainbow Warrior,” docked in Legazpi City, Albay, Wednesday to kick off the environmental group’s campaign for a coal-free Philippines.

“We are here to expose the role of coal in climate change, the greatest threat to life and biodiversity on the planet. We are here to highlight the urgent need for adoption of strong mitigation and adaptation measures to tackle the worst impacts of climate change,” said Mike Fincken, skipper of the Rainbow Warrior, in a statement released by Greenpeace.

The Rainbow Warrior’s “Quit coal, save the climate” tour of the Philippines will take it to Manila on Friday, May 23, Greenpeace said.

Greenpeace said the Philippines is most at risk of climate change because of coal mining and carbon dioxide emission from coal-fired plants.

Aside from eight existing coal-fired plants in the country, there are nine more scheduled for construction this year.

Rainbow Warrior picked Albay as its first destination because the province is among the places most affected by climate change, Greenpeace said.

“In 2006, Albay was pummeled by a series of strong typhoons, including Super Typhoon Reming [international codename: Durian]. Reming triggered a massive mudslide on the slopes of Mayon Volcano, killed 734 people, wrecked or damaged more than half a million houses, and left P1.6 billion in agricultural damages in the province,” it said.

On Wednesday, Albay Governor Joey Salceda officially declared Albay as a “no to mining and [a] coal-free zone.”

“We believe there is no place for coal in a world beset by climate change and certainly there is no place for coal in Albay,” Salceda said in a statement.

“It is time that Malacañang woke up,” Von Hernandez, Greenpeace Southeast Asia executive director, said. “There is very little time to waste and the tide is not going to wait either. Coal causes climate change. Climate change is already wreaking havoc across the country. But those in power are either asleep or choose to ignore what scientists are proclaiming.”