A Catholic diocese in the Philippine province of Quezon has marked the culmination of the global “Season of Creation” with a call to reject fossil fuel projects, particularly the revival of a coal-fired power plant proposed by Meralco Power Generation (MGen).
The Diocese of Lucena led thousands of students and faith-based groups in a protest against the planned Atimonan One Energy (A1E) coal plant, as well as other environmentally harmful activities in the region.
The event, organized by the Diocesan Ministry of Integral Ecology, began with a prayer walk that centered on the theme of caring for the environment and opposing MGen’s 1,200-megawatt A1E coal plant in Atimonan.
The project, which initially shifted to liquefied natural gas (LNG), has reverted to coal after MGen sought an exemption from the Department of Energy’s coal moratorium in September.
“Communities in Pagbilao and Mauban have already been suffering for years where coal plants are standing—why add more?” said Rev. Fr. Warren Puno, director of the Ministry of Integral Ecology and convenor of Quezon for Environment (QUEEN).
“If we allow the construction of a plant that will poison our peaceful province and towns, the next generation will have nothing left to depend on,” he added, urging the public to stand against the project.
After the prayer walk, a forum was held at Sacred Heart College where representatives from various sectors—fisherfolk, youth, Indigenous peoples, the academe, local government, and church groups—addressed environmental concerns such as quarrying, mining, the Kaliwa Dam project, and the A1E coal plant.
“In our town, there isn’t even a plant yet, but we’re already feeling the effects of worsening air pollution. What more if the plant is built? Our fishing grounds will suffer too,” said Ka Ramon Grimaldo, a fisherfolk leader from Atimonan.
A study by the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) backed these concerns, showing that air quality in Atimonan and nearby areas like Pagbilao had already exceeded safety standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Krishna Ariola, CEED’s Climate and Energy Campaigner, highlighted the environmental hazards posed by coal-based energy projects like A1E.
She pointed out that CEED’s study revealed multiple instances where pollutant levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in Atimonan and Pagbilao had surpassed the air quality standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
This, according to Ariola, should classify these areas as nonattainment zones, making them unsuitable for further polluting projects like A1E.
She pointed out that air pollution caused 66,230 deaths in 2019, and criticized the shift back to coal after the company had initially presented LNG as a cleaner alternative.
“That in itself is an admission of the pollution and harm that coal will bring, and yet it has brought it back from the dead, with no care at all for the health and environmental impact for this generation and the ones to come,” Ariola added.
The youth of Quezon released an open letter addressed to the present generation, condemning the environmental degradation caused by destructive energy sources, illegal mining, quarrying, and other exploitative activities.
The letter emphasized the responsibility of safeguarding the environment for future generations. “Protecting and preserving the order humanity inherited from the Great Creator is a clear responsibility. We never have the right to destroy what has only been lent to us,” the letter read.
