No to coal plants in Cebu
Please take time to seriously consider why we should all join hands to oppose any coal plant project for Cebu.
These are the following reminders contained in a February 14th letter sent by environmental advocates and civil society representatives to the members of Cebu City' Sangguniang Panlungsod:
"The 12th Sangguniang Panlungsod, seven members of whom are current members of the 14th Sangguniang, recognized the negative effects of coal and other carbon-intensive power and supported a call on moratorium on coal plants.
In its 79th regular session, the honorable members of the 12th Sangguniang Panlungsod (except one who was absent) carried Resolution No. 12-5644-2013 "to support the call to impose a moratorium on the establishment of carbon-intensive and fossil-based technologies to meet the country's power requirements such as coal plants in favor of transitioning to renewable energy options..."
The said resolution has also recognized that coal is dirty and that "the burning of coal continues to be the leading source of carbon dioxide emissions, among other greenhouse gases, which greatly contributes to global warming..."
It goes further to say that "Cebu being the Queen City of the South… ought to be the standard of cities in the Philippines in striking a balance between modern technology and clean renewable energy."
The resolution from the Cebu City Zoning Board on Ludo Power Corp's request, where it said that it is not averse to granting a variance... from Industrial I to Industrial II..." was made without the mandatory public hearing that the Board is required to undertake.
Section 8 of the Cebu City Zoning Ordinance 1656 (ordained in November 25, 1996) provides that variances "shall be granted only by the Cebu City Zoning Board after a public hearing shall have been conducted and all concerned properly notified and given the opportunity to present their comments and objections to the said application."
"...Despite requests, concerned citizens did not get invited to the February 9,2017 Zoning Board meeting ("only the project proponent was allowed to participate") where the matter of Ludo Power Corp.'s request was calendared a day before under "Other Matters" (upon) a personal request by Councilor Jose C. Daluz III.
The need to hear the perspective of other stakeholders in this issue is critical. Cebu City's 1996 Zoning Ordinance specifies that before an application for variance is granted, the Board must find that "the granting of such variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare" (sub-section 8.4). Moreover, sub-section 8.5 notes that "a variance shall not be used to grant a special privilege, nor to permit a use substantially inconsistent with the limitations upon other properties in the same zone and vicinity..."
Coal-fired power plants are proven to be detrimental to the health of people. Literature abound establishing that coal burning is harmful to people's health. This position was reiterated by several medical professionals and environment advocates in the various public scoping and public hearings in line with Ludo Power Corporation's application for approval of its 2x150MW coal-fired thermal plant project by the 13th Sangguniang Panlungsod.
A report by HealthJustice Philippines, which evaluated 12 operational coal-fired power plant in the country, give a chilling recount of coal's deadly impact on people.
Social acceptability for the coal-fired power plant project needs to be proven. Considering the scale of the proposed project (the proposed Ludo Power Corporation's $500 million, 300 megawatt coal-fired thermal power plant project) acceptability by residents of Cebu, not just by residents in the four immediate-neighboring barangays, needs to be established by the project proponent.
Bearing the above in mind, we finally ask the honorable members of this esteemed Council to remain firm in the basic ethics of public service - integrity, probity and commitment to the welfare of people.
This was signed by Aloysius Cañete (A2D Project), Alliance of S.I.R. Beneficiaries, Environmental Legal Assistance Center, Fellowship for Organizing Endeavors, Freedom from Debt Coalition - Cebu, Kaabag sa Sugbo Foundation, Kenny Glenn Silud (Sawang Calero Resident), Pagtambayayong Foundation, Philippine Earth Justice Center, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, Urban Poor Alliance - Cebu.
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