Eco groups: Stop Alegria drilling

CEBU, Philippines — While the town of Alegria in southern Cebu is in celebratory mood over the announcement that its oil and natural gas deposits have commercial value, at least three environmental groups want the drilling activities there to stop.

Lawyer Jose Aaron Pedrosa Jr., co-chairperson of the Energy Working Group of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), objects to any oil exploration or drilling because “it runs contrary to and undermines the efforts to boost the country’s resiliency to climate change impacts.”

“The intent to boost local oil production obscures the real risks faced by our communities from the evils of extreme weather events and slow onset impacts driven by continued reliance on fossil fuels,” he told The FREEMAN in an online message yesterday.

“We ask, at what cost and at whose expense? DOE’s business-as-usual approach in the energy sector is a license to kill against host communities and areas vulnerable to climate change impacts,” he said.

Pedrosa cited possible implications if further explorations will proceed, such as direct environmental, health, and social consequences.

A representative from global environmental organization Greenpeace also wants the project halted.

Khevin Yu, climate and energy campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia-Philippines, said the country should focus more on harnessing its renewable energy potential that does not deplete over time, such as maximizing development on solar energy.

“All efforts should be poured towards reaching the potential of this sector. Not doing so is a clear disservice not just to the Filipino people but to the global community working for a sustainable future,” he said.

Yu said undertaking the project is a clear violation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

“We should recognize that fossil fuel is the main global warming gases. We are aiming to reach global temperature increase to 1.5 Celsius to limit climate change impacts to the Filipino people, and will require the stoppage of new coal, oil and gas construction globally,” he said.

“The basic component of natural gas is methane, which is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. There have been reports from other countries that leakages are common in natural gas facilities which emit methane. In effect, it can be as dirty as coal or it can be even worse,” he added.

Yu claimed that there may be other potential environmental and social impacts that were not revealed by the Department of Energy and service contractor China International Mining Petroleum Company Limited (CIMP Co. Ltd.).

The Philippine Earth Justice Center (PEJC), for its part, “strongly” opposes the project because it will allegedly put the country, especially Cebu, at a disadvantage.

PEJC’s Benjamin Cabrido Jr., an environmental lawyer, said reports that the project will contribute to the country’s economy is just an “illusion.”

Cabrido tagged the project as a “useless energy reliance strategy,” whose benefit will far outweigh the loss the country will experience due to climate change.

No Price Cuts

The discovery and future production of millions of barrels of oil and natural gas in the town of Alegria, southern Cebu do not automatically mean a reduction in local prices of petroleum products.

DOE-7 director Saul Gonzales said pump prices are heavily dependent on the movement of prices in the international market.

“Dili pod magpasabot nga mobarato ang gasolina sa rason nga ang impluwensya sa presyo nagagikan sa gawas sa Pilipinas,” Gonzales told The FREEMAN in comment to netizens who have wondered whether the finding of the oil and natural gas deposits would directly benefit Cebuano motorists.

Gonzales likewise clarified that it will take some time before the extraction of petroleum products in Alegria can officially commence because it needs to follow a process.

“Kung naa na extraction, molambo ang ekonomiya sa lugar tungod kay mosugbong na unya ang mga nagkalain-lain nga negosyo sa palibot,” he said.

The DOE on Wednesday said Barangay Montpeller in Alegria town is home to as much as 28 million barrels of oil reserves and nine billion cubic feet of natural gas deposits. —JMD (FREEMAN)