Jaro Archdiocese urges rejection of coal-fired power plant
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Ilonggos should reject the proposed coal-fired power plant in Iloilo City warning of health and environmental risks.
Lagdameo said civil society along with Church groups should launch a campaign to convince officials to reject the project.
He said the clergy in the city will meet and help explain to their flock the danger of the proposed coal plant.
"It is better to act on the prevention (of sickness and environmental problems resulting from coal plants) rather than on the cure," Lagdameo said in an interview on Wednesday at the sidelines of a forum on coal plants sponsored by the Archdiocese of Jaro.
Environmental groups and the Catholic Church are opposing a plan to put up a 100-megawatt coal plant in Barangay Ingore in La Paz District here by the Global Business Power Corp. (GBPC) and Panay Power Corp. (PPC).
The project is among those considered to boost the energy baseload capacity of Iloilo City and Panay Island.
City officials are supporting the project citing the need for a stable supply of energy especially with the increasing power demand resulting from infrastructure and development projects.
But the head of the University of the Philippines-based National Poison Management and Control Center, said the project should be opposed warning of adverse health hazards on residents especially children.
Dr. Lynn Panganiban, a professor at the UP College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, said local government officials should be challenged to look for safe alternatives to power generation other than coal-fired plants. (Please see full text of Dr. Panganiban's letter opposing the coal-fired power plant project on Page 7.)