SUMMARY
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CEBU CITY, Philippines – An online petition has been launched to stop the Cebu City government from approving a proposed coal plant project in Barangay Sawang Calero.
The petition against Ludo Power Corporation’s proposal obtained 584 signatures as of Saturday morning, April 16.
The petition, “Stop the construction of a Coal Power Plant in Sawang Calero,” was initiated by Sheida Henry on Change.org on April 12. It is addressed to the Cebu City Council and the city government. Its initial goal is to have 500 supporters, but doubled this to 1,000 after it gained 429 signatures in just 3 days.
City Mayor Michael Rama supports the project, while City Councilors Noel Wenceslao and Richard Osmeña proposed a resolution endorsing its construction.
According to the petition, residents of Barangay Sawang Calero and neighboring villages Pasil and Duljo-Fatima were shocked to hear of the proposal’s progress and “voiced out their disgust” on how they were never consulted about it.
“I was not informed. There was no due notice of any public hearing or any consultation,” said Keeshia Salazar, 23, a former barangay councilor in Sawang Calero.
Ray Camps said in the comments section of the petition: “I am a concerned citizen, and there are so many poor people in that area. We can’t even help them financially. Now we have to kill them through the smoke that these power plants emit?”
The petition emphasized how the concerns and apprehensions of the people of Barangay Sawang Calero, Pasil, and Duljo-Fatima must be taken into consideration by Ludo Power Corp and the Cebu City Council before moving the project further.
“Para namo na mga dako na okay ra kay hapit na baya mi mawala dinhi sa kalibutan, pero ang mga bata nag tubo ug nagdako pa bay asila. Concern lang mi sa epekto sa ilang health kung unsa’u mahitabo basin masakit nya sila,” said Sawang Calero resident Josephine Echiverri.
(For us older ones who won’t be on earth much longer, the coal plant is fine. But for our kids who are still growing, we’re concerned about the effect of the coal plant on their health. They might get sick.)
Ludo Corporation has assured residents that the coal plant will use “clean coal” technology to lessen the negative effects on the surrounding communities.
Despite this, the petition pointed out the assurance does nothing to change the “well-established consensus that coal will never be clean and that no existing technology can provide 100% protection” for the affected communities.
The petitioners say that the gains from the project “will never outweigh the negative impacts that it will have on the community.”
On April 6, protesters gathered in front of the Cebu City hall to protest the construction of the coal power plant. (READ: Residents protest proposed coal plant in Cebu City)
There will be a public hearing on the project at the Barangay Sawang Calero gymnasium on April 17. – Rappler.com
Richale Cabauatan is a Rappler intern.
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