Zambo City villagers protest coal-fired power plant's construction

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - A village chief and her constituents are protesting the operation of a 100-megawatt coal-fired power plant which was launched on Sunday inside the economic zone in the city.

Talisayan barangay chairwoman Josephine Pareja and her constituents, clad in black shirts and with raised protest banners, welcomed the signing of the 31-year lease agreement between the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority and Freeport (Zamboecozone) and the San Ramon Power, Inc. (SRPI) outside free port complex.

The signing paves the way for the establishment of a P12-billion power plant in a 33-hectare land inside the complex located at Sitio San Ramon, Barangay Talisayan.

The SRPI of the Alcantara Group of Companies, which have also secured the Environmental Certificate Compliance (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will start the construction of the plant by September this year. The plant is expected to be operational by 2016.

Pareja said that they have earlier submitted a strong petition to President Benigno Aquino III to block the construction of the coal-fired power plant citing its possible adverse effects to the environment.

She said that some of her residents have already opted to leave the village for fear of the environment hazard from the coal-fired power plant.

“We don’t want the coal-fired power plant. If the other officials or people want it, they can have it in their place,” Pareja said.

City Mayor Celso Lobregat, meanwhile, said in a statement that the signing was a milestone and a historic day for the city which has been plagued with power outages.

Lobregat also played down fears and apprehensions of the city residents against the coal-fire power plant.

He said that a coal-fired power plant is the most feasible solution to the city's power woes.

“This investment will reach about P12-billion and when the plant [becomes] operational, it is expected [to end] the regime of power outages and blackouts in Zamboanga city,” Lobregat said.

He added that aside from employment and power stability for the city, the Zambo Ecozone will benefit for the first five years of the plant's construction and operation.