FILE PHOTO: The wind farm in Bangui town is a picture-perfect backdrop for tourists. – The renewable energy shift plan of the Philippines must be expedited, a group of environment advocates urged the government. The Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) said the coal barges that ran aground in Zambales and capsized off Sorsogon should serve as “a terrible yet stark reminder that fossil fuel projects are dirty, deadly, and costly.” PHOTO BY ALEXIS CORPUZ
MANILA, Philippines — The renewable energy shift plan of the Philippines must be expedited, a group of environment advocates urged the government.
The Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) said the coal barges that ran aground in Zambales and capsized off Sorsogon should serve as “a terrible yet stark reminder that fossil fuel projects are dirty, deadly, and costly.”
During the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (International name: Trami), a barge carrying more than 11,000 metric tons of coal ran aground at Masinloc Bay in Zambales while another coal barge flipped off Sorsogon City.
CEED Executive Director Gerry Arances said in a statement on Monday that “in more ways than one,” accidents involving coal could bring about “worse climate disasters” and “directly [pollute] the environments and communities that host them.”
He added, “Coal and other fossil fuels are not only a major contributor to climate change, they also pose significant threats to our communities and environment.”
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According to CEED, coal spills in Zambales and Sorsogon pose environmental damage and threaten the livelihood of fisherfolk in the areas.
The group reported that a coastal community in Barangay Bucalbucalan in Sorsogon raised the alarm over a “darkening of the coast due to the alleged soaking of the barge’s coal.”
It then recalled the 2023 oil spill involving MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of fuel when it sank near Oriental Mindoro.
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“Renewable energy is more economical and reliable than coal, but it also represents a necessary step toward a sustainable future,” Arances said.
“Increasing restrictions against toxic pollution and ensuring that fisherfolk and coastal communities are empowered to be at the forefront of managing and protecting their marine and coastal environments should be the way forward,” he added.
The government crafted the Philippine Energy Plan’s Clean Energy Scenario that aims to set renewable energy sources at 35 percent in the country’s power mix by 2030, and 50 percent by 2040.