MULTI-SECTORAL groups from Cebu and Negros have launched the “Save Tañon Strait” campaign, a coalition aimed at protecting the Tañon Strait seascape from the proposed expansion of Aboitiz’s Therma Visayas Incorporated (TVI) coal-fired power plant in Toledo City, Cebu.
“We are in a time when the Earth is calling on us to protect it, yet our leaders are moving backward. The Tañon Strait is one of the largest protected areas in the Philippines, a seascape that gives millions of lives and bounty,” Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos Diocese, Negros Occidental, said in a press conference on Wednesday, September 18, at a hotel in Cebu City.
Earlier this month, the coalition released a joint statement to oppose TVI’s Unit 3 coal expansion, stating that the proposed expansion has violated the Department of Energy’s (DOE) 2020 coal moratorium and the Extended National Integrated Protected Area System (Enipas) Act.
“Coal is far from being a reliable, cost-efficient, and accessible energy source, as claimed by Aboitiz. Household and business outages are increasingly caused by frequent malfunctions in coal-powered systems,” Krishna Ariola, Climate and Energy Program head of the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (Ceed), said.
Research indicated that coal is also the main driver behind rising electricity prices, she said.
With TVI’s Unit 3 eyeing to be added within the stretch of Tañon Strait, it is hard to convince people of stability, especially when it will add harm to an important marine sanctuary, she further said.
The Tanon Strait, a 161-kilometer channel dividing the islands of Cebu and Negros, is home to 14 species of whales and dolphins, most of which can be seen off Bais, Negros Oriental.
TVI’s coal-fired power plants are located in the coastal zone of Toledo City, Cebu, which is fronting San Carlos City in Negros Occidental and adjacent to the Tañon Strait, a protected seascape.
“Right now we are greatly faced with another threat to the Tañon Strait... that is part of the Enipas Act, and very important biodiversity is in that area. That is why we have to be very critical of different activities being proposed in the area,” said Kristine Argallon, legal and policy officer of the Philippine Earth Justice Center (PECJ).
Argallon stressed that even though it’s just a proposal, it’s a threat to the area, as she emphasized, “we can’t afford to use this biodiversity for harmful developments.”
“It’s not just coal expansion, but there are other development activities happening in the area, reclamation, shipyard activities, expansion, and many others,” she added.
Fewer catches
The beautiful and bountiful Tañon Strait covers an area of 534,589 hectares and is surrounded by 42 municipalities and cities from Cebu and Negros.
“The power plant uses waters from the Tañon Strait for its cooling system, raising the local water temperature, which could directly affect nearby marine ecosystems and fisheries,” said Nicasio Blanca, president of Limpiyo ang Hangin Alang sa Tanan (Lahat).
The surrounding communities depend on the Tañon Strait’s abundant supply of food, and the primary source of income for these residents is fishing, Blanca said, adding that the strait also provides opportunities for public enjoyment and employment through tourism and other economic activities.
“Ang mananagat sab nga akong naistorya, dira sa Tanon Strait katung lugar nga primi nila adtuan, nihit na ang isda (The fishermen I talked to, especially those in the Tañon Strait where they usually fish, said that fish are becoming scarce),” Blanca said.
Bishop’s call
Despite poor weather conditions, Alminaza came to Cebu City from Negros Occidental to join Cebuanos in their fight against coal.
The bishop said that Cebuanos earlier helped Negrenses stop the entry of coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
“The fisherfolk of San Carlos are one of the strongest voices against coal and LNG, and the people of San Carlos and Negros are with our Cebuano brothers and sisters in this fight,” he stressed.
Alminaza emphasized that the Tañon Strait has 43,000 registered fisherfolk coming from 42 municipalities of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Cebu, while “switching the life-sustaining work of our fisherfolk with measly and unsustainable livelihood projects is not enough.”
He also appealed to government officials and leaders to protect the environment and take a stand on the issue.
“We appeal to your humanity, we call on you to uphold the coal moratorium and develop a coal phase-out policy, the lives of our citizens rest on this. To our government officials in the province of Cebu, we call on you to be one of the voices of the people and unite for the protection of our beloved Tañon Strait, it is high time for leaders to declare their stands on these projects,” he said.
He added, “There is so much interconnection between Negros and Cebu through Tañon Strait, but also because of our anti-coal campaign movement. Now it is our turn from San Carlos from Negros Occidental to support also our brothers and sisters here in Cebu,” Alminaza said.
Abundant power
Earlier this year, Cebu’s business sector welcomed the expansion of power plants in Cebu to support various industries’ growth and shield the province from economic losses due to power outages similar to what happened earlier in Western Visayas.
In December 2023, the DOE issued 21 projects for system impact study (SIS) to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), including the 169 megawatts (MW) expansion project of TVI in Barangay Bato in Toledo City, Cebu.
In a report by SunStar Cebu on Feb. 2, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia supports building baseload power plants in Cebu to meet the province’s need for reliable power to fuel its growing economy and population.
Garcia emphasized the urgent need for Cebu to attain power self-sufficiency to avoid the plight faced by neighboring Panay Island, which wrestled with extensive blackouts earlier in the year due to supply and infrastructure issues.
However, the secretary-general of Sanlakas Cebu, Teodorico Navea, said that Cebu has sufficient supply, in fact, it’s the province that is supplying power to other local government units in the country.
“Bakit magiging issue ang usapin nang kuryente when in fact, para sa kaalaman nang lahat, ang TVI ay hindi nagsusupply nang kuryente sa Cebu, siya ag nagsusupply nang kuryente sa Negros. So, abundant ang Cebu nang kuryente, ang tanong lang, papaano nagmemake use ang Cebu para sa kanyang sariling needs (Why is electricity becoming an issue when it’s common knowledge that TVI doesn’t supply power to Cebu? Their service area is Negros. Cebu has an abundant supply of electricity; the real question lies in how efficiently they’re utilizing this energy to meet their own demands),” Navea said.
“Di natin alam kung anong nangyayari, ginagawa ang kuryente dito pero pinapasa natin sa ibang probinsya (We don’t know what’s happening, electricity is being produced here, but we’re passing it on to other provinces),” he added.
Navea stressed, “What are they saying that we have to aggressively come up with many sources of electricity? In fact, Cebu is already providing so much electricity for the country nationwide through the grid, right? The electricity passes through the grid and reaches as far as Luzon.”
Aboitiz has yet to issue a statement on the matter.