Protests against the proposed coal power plant in Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City

By: Carlon Jave F. Sevilla

Cebu City, a densely populated metropolis in the Philippines' Central Visayas region, has had a long history of coal power plants. During the years, many coal-fired power plants have been built in the city, generating inexpensive and reliable energy to the city and its neighboring areas. But as environmental concerns and awareness about the impact of coal power on the environment and human health have grown, the sentiment of the city public toward coal power plants has altered. Locals and environmental groups have been vocal in their opposition to numerous proposed coal power plant projects. One of these heavily opposed projects was the Ludo Power Corp. coal power station, which was eventually cancelled before being reintroduced.

Project Proposal

City councilors Noel Wenceslao and Richard Osmea sponsored a resolution supporting the city's development of a 2x150MW coal plant. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has also endorsed the initiative. [1]

The Cebu City Council chose not to approve Ludo's request to develop a 300-megawatt coal plant on its location within the densely populated barangay of Sawang Calero on April 27, 2016, citing a lack of social acceptance. This was due to the fact that on the 6th of the same month, some 150 locals and environmental activists came out to oppose the facility's construction in front of Cebu City Hall.

The Cebu Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Environment (CASE), the Freedom from Debt Coalition - Cebu, the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice - Cebu, Sanlakas, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Health Care Without Harm, Sustainable Energy and Enterprise Development for Communities (SEED4COM), Oceana, Missionaries for the Poor, Dakila Artists Collective, Cebuanos Against Coal, and Pusyon Kinaiyahan are among the organizations involved and supported the locals’ fight against the building of the power plant. [2]

Concerned citizen Sheida Henry initiated an online petition on change.org to oppose the development of the coal-powered plant in Sawang Calero. The petition amassed 1582 signatures. [3]

Noel Wenceslao and Richard Osmea, both councilors, then reevaluated their support for the proposed facility, with Wenceslao giving the corporation two options: overcome the lack of public acceptability and create a thorough environmental impact assessment report, or locate another project location. The latter option was highlighted because the 12-hectare Land tract on which the building would be built also has a Missionaries of the Poor shelter for mentally and physically challenged children, as well as the Sawang Calero Elementary School.

Another councilor, Councilor Nida Cabrera, who chairs the environment committee, urged that power companies, such as Ludo Power Corp., instead examine renewable energy because the proposed coal plant is environmentally harmful, citing a World Health Organization report. She went on to say that because the town where the plant was going to be built is also categorized as an Industrial District 1, power plants should not be erected there, which was one of the primary reasons the council opted against building the plant. [4]

Project Reintroduction

In December 2016, the Ludo Plant supporters worked on a resolution to reclassify the proposed power plant location from Industrial District 1 to Industrial District 2. [5]

During its regular session on February 14, 2017, the city council approved 10-4 to support Ludo's initiative to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other connected government authorities. The initiative was the previously mentioned reclassification of the alleged power plant location as Industrial District 2. Since then, the Council has authorized the request and submitted it to the Cebu City Zoning Board (CCZB) and the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) for review. The CCZB has already approved the proposal, stating that "[the board] is not adverse to granting" the reclassification request after assessing the benefits of the proposed power plant.

Residents of Cebu City's Barangay Sawang Calero were taken aback by the surprise revival of the Ludo coal-fired power station, which was assumed to be defunct after being rejected by previous Cebu City Council members last year. [6]

Cebuanos Against Coal, a group of mostly local residents concerned about pollution, and the Phillipine Campaign for Climate Justice are both opposed to the facility (PMCJ). On February 17, 2017, and again on March 31, 2017 [7], local citizens protested the proposal. Some groups, namely, Akbayan Youth, Alliance of S.I.R. Beneficiaries, Environmental Legal Assistance Center, Fellowship for Organizing Endeavors, Freedom from Debt Coalition-Cebu, Kaabag sa Sugbo Foundation, Pagtambayayong Foundation, Philippine Earth Justice Center, Philippine Movement for Climate Weather, Pusyon Kinaiyahan, Urban Poor Alliance of Cebu and Missionaries of the Poor (MOP) also published a joint statement against the construction of the plant. [8]

There has been no more movement toward construction of the project as of June 2021, and it appears to be terminated, citing internal issues inside and between Ludo Power and its parent firm, Luym Foundation Incorporated. The project is not included in the Philippines Department of Energy's December 2020 report on launched power projects in Visayas. [9]

Conclusion

The debate surrounding the proposed Barangay Sawang Calero Power Station in Cebu City, Philippines, emphasizes the significance of taking local people' thoughts and concerns into account when making power plant building choices. The project was met with intense resistance from environmental groups and local communities, who stated their concerns about the coal-fired power plant's possible health and environmental implications.

While power plants are necessary for satisfying communities' energy demands, it is critical to guarantee that their construction and operation do not have a negative influence on the health and well-being of the people who live nearby. This necessitates genuine involvement with local communities, accurate and honest information, and consideration of their concerns and suggestions.

References

	[1] R. Macasero, "#ClimateActionPH: How citizens stopped a coal plant from rising in Cebu City," Rappler, 27 November 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.rappler.com/moveph/153769-how-citizens-stopped-coal-plant-cebu-city/.
	[2] J. Bedas, "Cebu City council junks coal plant project," Rappler, 2016 April 27. [Online]. Available: https://www.rappler.com/moveph/130965-cebu-city-council-junks-coal-plant/.
	[3] H. Sheida, "Stop the construction of a Coal Power Plant in Sawang Calero," change.org, [Online]. Available: https://www.change.org/p/cebu-city-councillors-stop-the-construction-of-a-coal-power-plant-in-sawang-calero.
	[4] J. S. S. Bunachita, "Councilor has no plans yet to push for coal plant approval," Cebu Daily News, 2016 April 28. [Online]. Available: https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/92368/councilor-has-no-plans-yet-to-push-for-coal-plant-approval#ixzz478lcu7NW.
	[5] M. "Ludo Power Rising in Cebu City: Is There Such a Thing as Clean Coal?," Queen City Cebu, 27 May 2017. [Online]. Available: https://queencitycebu.com/ludo-power-rising-cebu-city-thing-clean-coal-2/.
	[6] J. S. S. Bunachita, "LUDO COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT Protesters to Council: Explain endorsement," Cebu Daily News, 17 February 2017. [Online]. Available: https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/123156/ludo-coal-fired-power-plant-protesters-council-explain-endorsement.
	[7] A. V. S. Mayol, "Stop coal-fired power plant in Cebu, militants urge DOE," INQUIRER.NET, 21 March 2017. [Online]. Available: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/885418/stop-coal-fired-power-plant-in-cebu-militants-urge-doe.
	[8] "100 villagers protest vs coal plant project," SunStar, 18 February 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/126752/100-villagers-protest-vs-coal-plant-project-.
	[9] "PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATED POWER PROJECTS (VISAYAS) INDICATIVE As of 31 December 2020," Department of Energy, 31 December 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.doe.gov.ph/sites/default/files/pdf/electric_power/visayas_indicative_2020_december.pdf?withshield=1.
	[10] J. S. S. Bunachita, "Sawang Calero residents, anti-coal groups rally against proposed coal-fired power plant," Cebu Daily News, 17 February 2017. [Online]. Available: https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/123070/sawang-calero-residents-anti-coal-groups-rally-against-proposed-coal-fired-power-plant.