Protest vs dirty energy in Philippines’‘coal capital’ held on Environment Day

Local churches, clean energy groups, and communities across Quezon province in the Philippines celebrated World Environment Day.

The celebration aimed to uphold the right to a healthy environment and sustainable energy, as Quezon province continues to confront pollution from a massive fleet of operating and proposed fossil fuel projects, according to a statement. 

World Environment Day on June 5 coincides with the 10th anniversary of the groups’ and local communities’ resistance against Atimonan One Energy (A1E), a 1,200 MW coal project proposed by the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), which has faced severe delay and heavy opposition from local stakeholders since 2015.

The commemoration, themed “Atin Muna” (Ours First), was held in the form of a mass, followed by a prayer march and a fluvial parade.

Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel Ma. Villareal, a founding member of Quezon for Environment (QUEEN), said that 10 years ago, their plea to stop the coal project started through collective prayer. 

“We commemorate that day today through once again joining in prayer and action. We, as members of the faith community, have always been vocal in our call to protect both our people and the environment, because faith loses its meaning when humanity and love for creation are absent. We will continue to oppose this harmful coal project until its complete cancellation, he stated.

The Catholic Church also marks the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’: Care for Our Common Home this year.

The encyclical was issued by the late Pope Francis, calling for universal ecological stewardship, including the call for an urgent transition away from dirty energy in response to the climate crisis.

Fr. Warren Puno, convenor of QUEEN, said Quezon province and the Philippines as a whole have a rich yet untapped potential for clean energy from renewables.

“Despite this, we are the country’s coal capital—with many coal and even gas projects either operating or still being proposed. We can shift our reliance on dirty energy resources in ways that are both transformative and empowering," he stated.

Last May, the QUEEN and several local and national organizations and networks wrote to the Department of Energy welcoming its revocation of A1E’s exemption from the 2020 coal moratorium and called on the department for a total shelving of the project.

“Quezon’s impacted communities and their supporters have spoken: we want a sustainable energy future, not coal or gas. Already, Meralco is facing much controversy for its skyrocketing electricity rates, unreliable services, and anti-consumer contracts. Meralco need not add another destructive project to the list of its sins,” said Gerry Arances, convenor of the Power for People Coalition (P4P).