| Residents hold big rally vs coal plant during Maasim fiesta |
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| by MindaNews | |
| Tuesday, 15 September 2009 12:17 | |
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KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/14 Sep) – Thousands of residents in Maasim, Sarangani celebrated their fiesta by showing opposition to the planned coal-fired power plant there. They signed a “covenant between God and the people of Maasim” in expressing their opposition to the Alcantara-led project of Conal Holdings Corp. “We vow to obey God’s commandment to take care of His gift of nature, and that we will choose life not death. Hence we vow to oppose the construction of the CFPP [coal-fired power plant] so that our seas, water and mountains will not die; so that our children and our people will not die of diseases; so that too much warming that will destroy the earth will stop,” said the covenant written in Cebuano.A 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant costing $450 million is being planned by Conal Holdings, to be built in a coastal village hosting a beautiful dive spot. Conal has assured residents that the project will “environmentally-friendly.” Dr. Winifreda Olbes, a leading local critic of the coal plant, said the prayer-rally was to show “our commitment to preserve God’s creation and to show our vehement opposition to the coal plant project which will eventually destroy our environment and our people.” After the mass at the Catholic church, residents marched towards the town hall to press the municipal government to withdraw its support to the project. At least 3,000 people from General Santos City, South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces reportedly joined the inter-cultural and inter-religious event. Fifty bikers from the cities of General Santos and Davao, including “biking priest” Amado Picardal of the Redemptorists in Davao, pedaled their way to Maasim. Trucks and other vehicles, including motorcycles, from various parishes under the Diocese of Marbel also joined the caravan. The covenant signing was spearheaded by the Maasim People’s Coalition on Climate Change (MP3C), which is composed of Santa Cruz, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, the Church of Christ, the Sovereign Grace Church International, and Notre Dame of Maasim.
“Majority of the people of Maasim opposes the project,” according to Fr. Emerardo Maningo, of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, which is a member of the MP3C. “The result of our covenant signing is overwhelming. Even our Muslim brethren and the indigenous communities joined us in the covenant to protect the environment and oppose the construction of the coal fired power plant” he added. But the local government, which has thrown its support for the project by issuing a manifesto, is not convinced that Maasim residents are overwhelmingly opposing the power plant. “Only a few of the estimated 1,500 who joined the rally were from Maasim. Many of the rallyists came from General Santos and Koronadal cities,” said Mayor Aniceto P. Lopez Jr. in a phone interview. He said that the rally would have no impact on the municipal government’s decision supporting the project. Conal Holdings, in a press statement emailed to media outfits, said they are “more than willing” to meet groups opposed to the project “ to correct the impression that the plant will cause environmental damage.” “These dialogues are important in ensuring that the public is given only factual information about the project and not just generalizations on coal-fired power plants that do not apply to the plant that will be built in Maasim,” said Joseph Nocos, Conal Holdings vice president for business development. (MindaNews) Share this story through the following Social Media sites:            |
