Coal plant threat to Subic tourism, say locators

A coal-fired power plant that is planned to be built here by a consortium of energy firms is a potential threat to the tourism appeal of the free port, businessmen involved in the local tourism industry said.

Timothy Desmond, president of the marine theme park Ocean Adventure, said his company would be the first to suffer from the proposed 600-megawatt plant owned by a consortium of energy firms led by Aboitiz Power, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Taiwan Cogen Corp.

“Since we are directly exposed to the bay, the coal plant will affect us. We are the tourism business that is most linked to the environment,” Desmond said.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras earlier endorsed the project, saying the power that will be generated by the coal-fired plant is essential to boost the Luzon grid.

Healthy bay

Desmond said the primary tourism draw of Subic, aside from its rainforests, is “the huge and healthy body of water of the bay.”

“As it is, the sewage coming from Olongapo is already a major source of pollution. Now, here comes another source of pollution, which is the coal plant,” he said.

Ocean Adventure draws at least half a million visitors a year to Subic.

“[This] makes us the largest tourism operator here. The bulk of our market is from Luzon, and our attractions [also benefit other tourism operators in the area]. And now, all of those tourism establishments will negatively be impacted by the coal plant,” Desmond said.

No consultation

Since there was no consultation with locators before an environmental clearance certificate was issued to the project proponents by the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, “there’s no way that the discussion on the safeguard was complete,” he said.

“You get a big typhoon coming from the [West Philippine Sea], and how is that going to impact the ships that will carry coal, we don’t know. The proponents were never required to explain anything to the community. Beyond the fact that we’re opposed to the project in principle, the process made it even worse,” he said.

“The government was not listening, not responding adequately to the locator community—that’s a crucial failure,” he added.

Marianito Fernandez, chair of Subic Coastal Development Corp., developer of Moonbay Marina here, said tourism operators “are one in opposing” the construction of the coal-fired power plant.

Moonbay Marina, a development project comprised of tourism establishments like hotels and restaurants fronting the Subic Bay, has a 3-km shoreline that is already being affected by sewage that goes through the Kalaklan River in Olongapo City to the bay.

Water temperature

“Having this coal plant here may raise the temperature of the water, which will adversely affect the marine life in the bay,” he said.

Gregorio Magdaraog, vice president for corporate affairs of Ocean Adventure and former assistant secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority had made a commitment to protect the environment in the free port.

“There’s supposed to be a balance and the environment has to be protected. That’s why we came here,” he said.

He said a way to address the energy crisis without sacrificing the environment is for the government to use its existing assets, like the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant complex and the infrastructure existing in Bagac, also in Bataan, for the construction of a coal plant.

“They have only to use those assets and focus on an energy policy that protects the environment,” he said.

Tourism operators

Magdaraog said the statement of Danny Piano, head of the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce, that the project cannot be stopped was not shared by tourism operators.

“He’s saying that it’s fait accompli (accomplished fact). But some of us are saying that no, it can be stopped,” he said.

Desmond said his company and scuba diving shops here joined the protests against the coal plant because “it will raise the profile of the issue to get it proper attention.”

“I believe there is a solution out there that can solve the problem,” he said.