ILOILO CITY, Philippines -- Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, will join Antique officials and environmental groups on Thursday in launching a hydro-power plant project in Antique, the first in Western Visayas.
The 14-megawatt project to be undertaken by Sunwest Water and Electric Co., Inc. in the village of Villasiga in Bugasong town will be completed in two years, according to Antique Governor Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez.
The project is seen to boost efforts of environmental and Church groups to push for renewable sources of energy and help address the power supply deficit in Western Visayas, which has been plagued by continued brownouts in recent months.
"We are happy that we will be the first province to have this project and we hope that other provinces in the region will follow our example," Perez, also chair of the Regional Development Council, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a telephone interview.
Energy and government officials and business groups are pushing for the establishment of coal-fired power plants on Panay Island to ensure a stable energy supply and to break the island's dependence on imported energy, mostly from geothermal plants in Leyte and the Visayas power grid.
Panay Island is composed of the provinces of Iloilo, Aklan, Antique and Capiz. The other provinces in the region are Guimaras Island and Negros Occidental.
The Visayas grid gets most of its power supply from the geothermal plants in Leyte, which exports 360 mw to Cebu and 30 megawatts to Bohol. Cebu in turn exports 80 megawatts to Negros, which transfers 55 megawatts to Panay Island, according to data of the Department of Energy.
The DOE projects that the Cebu-Negros-Panay grid will need a total of 261 megawatts by 2010 to avert a power shortage.
But Western Visayas church leaders led by Lagdameo and environmental groups have staunchly opposed coal plant projects on fears of health and environmental hazards.
A 100-megawatt coal plant is being planned to be constructed in Concepcion town in Iloilo, around 111 kilomters north of here. Another coal plant is being planned in La Paz District in this city.
Lagdameo, who has issued statements and joined protest actions against the coal-fired plants, welcomed the hydro power plant project.
"Renewable energy is viable! It is possible!" the prelate said in a circular addressed to the clergy and parish pastoral councils dated May 27.
Lagdameo said he was assured by the investors in the hydro power plant project in Antique that they would sell cheaper energy than the coal-fired power plants.
He noted that other renewable energy projects in Panay have been in progress including a possible wind energy project in Guimaras, bagasse-fed generation plant in Passi City in Iloilo. Another hydro power plant is also being eyed in Libacao town in Aklan, which will generate 60-80 mw.
Lagdameo said they agreed that there was a need to prepare for the increasing power demand that would result in gradual shortages starting in 2011 but he said renewable sources of energy should be developed and tapped, instead of putting up coal plants.
"Listening to the assessments and recommendations of environmentalists, technical groups and scientists, as well as those in the medical profession, we cannot support the proposal to establish coal plants as we would be party to the commission of the social sin of polluting our environment, and putting at risk the health of communities,” Lagdameo said in his circular.
“We strongly advocate for sustainable solutions, and we shall support only those who propose renewable energy projects," he said.
Lagdameo said insisting only on renewable energy would be consistent with the Catholic Church’s response to the power concern. "We would be advocating the use of what God in His Goodness has richly provided us -- the indigenous resources waiting to be harnessed," he said.
