Fight vs coal plant takes Lenten twist

ANTI-COAL power plant activists, led by Church leaders, gather at a wind farm in Pililla, Rizal province, in a gesture of support for renewable energy sources. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

LUCENA CITY—Catholic Church leaders at the forefront of the fight to stop the proposed 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Atimonan town, Quezon province, continued their campaign through a Lenten pilgrimage.

Msgr. Emmanuel Villareal, parish priest of Our Lady of Angels Church in Atimonan, led more than 500 pilgrims on March 11 in the annual Visita Iglesia (church visit), which included a tour to the site of an alternative source of clean energy, the 54-MW wind farm in Pililla town in Rizal province.

Villareal said the environment education tour was part of the campaign to help strengthen opposition against the construction of the coal-fired power plant in their town.

“We want to show our parishioners that there is an alternative source of abundant and renewable clean energy aside from a coal-fired power plant,” Villareal said in a phone interview on Sunday.

He said this year’s Lenten pilgrimage was part of the group’s response to Pope Francis’ call for environment protection in his ecology encyclical, “Laudato Si (Praise Be).”

“By visiting the wind farm, we were made mindful of our duty to care for the Earth, our common home and God’s temple where his presence dwells,” Villareal said.

The Visita Iglesia is a popular tradition among Catholics during Lent that involves visits to at least seven churches.

The pilgrimage and educational tour seek to strengthen the resolve of Atimonan parishioners to save the town from the “disastrous impact” of the coal-fired power plant, Villareal said.

The priest led pilgrims in a community prayer at the wind farm in Barangay Halayhayin.

“My parishioners were amazed at the technology of the wind farm and its benefits, not only to the people but also to the environment,” he said.

The 27-tower wind farm supplements energy supply in Metro Manila and Rizal. The towers overlook Laguna Lake and nearby towns, attracting tourists to the area.

In August last year, the Atimonan parish church became popular among environmentalists when it installed a 5-kilowatt solar power system on the roof of the heritage structure as part of the campaign against the coal-fired facility.

The diocese of Lucena and environmentalist groups are spearheading the “No to Coal” campaign against the proposed coal-fired power plant by Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) on an 80-hectare land in Barangay Villa Ibaba.

The Atimonan government approved the project and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued an environmental compliance certificate.