Faith leaders and environmental groups marked World Environment Day with renewed calls to cancel a delayed coal project in Quezon province.
The protest coincided with the 10th anniversary of local resistance to Atimonan One Energy (A1E), a 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant proposed by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
The anniversary was commemorated with a Mass, a prayer march, and a fluvial parade under the theme Atin Muna.
“Ten years ago, our plea to stop the coal project started through collective prayer,” said Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel Ma. Villareal, founding member of Quezon for Environment (QUEEN). “We commemorate that day today through once again joining in prayer and action.”
“We in the faith community have always been vocal in our cry to protect our people and the environment, because faith is void when humanity and love for the creation is absent,” he added. “That is why we will not stop pushing back against this destructive coal project until it is fully shelved.”
This year’s protest also marked the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical that urged decisive action against fossil fuels and environmental degradation.
“Quezon province and the Philippines as a whole have a rich yet untapped potential for clean energy from renewables,” said Rev. Fr. Warren Puno, QUEEN convenor. “Despite this, we are the country’s coal capital—with many coal and even gas projects either operating or still being proposed.”
“It is possible for us to turn away from dirty energy resources, and it can be done in the most transformative and empowering ways,” he said. “As we remember a decade of fighting against coal in Atimonan, we also herald a new stage of even bolder rejection against fossil fuels in our province.”
In May, QUEEN and dozens of other groups submitted a letter to the Department of Energy (DOE), backing the agency’s revocation of A1E’s exemption from the 2020 coal moratorium.
The groups urged the DOE to permanently terminate the project.
“Quezon’s impacted communities and their supporters have spoken: we want a sustainable energy future, not coal or gas,” said Gerry Arances, convenor of the Power for People Coalition (P4P).
“Already, Meralco is facing much controversy for its skyrocketing electricity rates, unreliable services, and anticonsumer contracts. Meralco need not add another destructive project to the list of its sins. There is no place for A1E in Quezon,” he added.
Organizers said the protest reflected growing public demand for renewable energy alternatives and accountability from major power companies.
