‘Follow Cebu City Council’s stand’

A militant group is encouraging more local government units (LGUs) to make a stand against using “dirty” energy.

Lawyer Jose Aaron Pedrosa, secretary-general of Sanlakas, made the call after the Cebu City Council passed a resolution a few weeks ago calling for a moratorium on the construction of more coal-fired power plants in Cebu.

The council’s stand came amid reports of plans of building five more coal-fired power plants in Cebu. The reports said that one of the projects was already in the pipeline while four others were still being proposed.

“We want more LGUs to come out in mobilizing communities and different sectors to use renewable energy instead,” Pedrosa said.

The group also called on the newly-elected Cebu City north and south congressmen to put the Cebu City Council’s actions into law.

streamers

Yesterday, Sanlakas members mounted two streamers at the Fuente Osmeña pedestrian skywalk expressing their sentiment against “dirty” energy projects.

It was also their way to celebrate the “Global Day Action Against Coal.”

Pedrosa said that Sanlakas was happy with the growing sentiment against “dirty” energy and called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to change its plans and use renewable energy instead.

Last Tuesday, Sanlakas members went to the DOE office to present a copy of  the Cebu City Council resolution against the construction of more coal-fired power plants in Cebu.

Yesterday, the group sought for a response to their questions and concerns listed by Roland Menezes, supervisor of the Energy Resource Development and Utilization, who stood in for Regional Director Antonio Labios during a meeting last week with the group.

They, however, failed to get a response to their concerns.

“We were very sad since there were still no answers and we still needed to invite ourselves into their office and talk with them regarding our concerns,” Pedrosa said.

concerns

Their concerns included the DOE clarifying the consultation process done in approving the power plant projects and why there was no active people participation when the projects were proposed.

Pedrosa encouraged the DOE to become more proactive.

He also urged the energy department to let the people participate in the process in approving proposed power plants in Cebu.

“We will also send letters to the US consulate urging their government on behalf of the country to cut carbon emissions,” he said.

Cebu City has been acknowledged as one of the country’s cities with the greatest climate exposure in a 2011 study conducted by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWFN) and the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Foundation./Correspondent Michelle Joy I. Padayhag