redemptorists-cebu

Help the people make a firm stand to oppose the CFPP (Coal-fired Power Plant) (NEWSLETTER - 26 Sept 2009)

Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez of the Diocese of Marbel, Sarangani Povince, Southern Mindanao, - invited the RIMT (Redemporist Itinerant Mission Team) to give missions in his diocese. We are now in Santa Cruz Parish, in the rustic town of Maasim, Sarangani Province. The Parish Priest is Fr. Floro Litigio. He is a relative of Bro John Letigio, C.Ss.R.; the slight change of family name spelling was done purposely.
The Bishop and the Parish Priest ask us to do two things during the mission, namely, (1) to help in strengthening the Basis Ecclesial Communities BEC), and (2) to help the people make a firm stand to oppose the CFPP (Coal-fired Power Plant) in Barangay Kamanga, Maasim. The electric generating project intends to use dirty coal as fuel. It is a joint venture of a Filipino company, CONAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION (owned by the extended family of the present governor of Sarangani Province), and EGCO-THAILAND (owned by the British Virgin Islands Corporation).
It is relatively easy to respond to the first request. The GKK (Gagmayng Kristohanong Katilingban) or BEC was organized some years ago. The second request is turning out to be really challenging. Here are the salient features of the CFPP issue.

1. The CFPP (Coal-fired Power Plant) is one of the major culprits of the GLOBAL PROBLEM of CLIMATE CHANGE and POLLUTION, as manifested LOCALLY in Maasim. "Think Globally. Act Locally." So, this is the issue of ALL peoples throughout the world.

2. Here are the FACTS of the global issue, as concretized in the proposed CFPP in the village of Kamanga, Maasim, Sarangani Province.

a. In a scale of one (1) to five (5) - number one (1) is considered the oldest and dirtiest technology of using coal as fuel for power plants. Number five (5) is considered the latest and "least dirty" yet STILL DIRTY (because, as of today, there is no KNOWN technology in the whole world that can DEFINITELY CLAIM to be 100% clean, i.e., free of carbon dioxide (CO2) and toxic chemicals (especially mercury and sulfuric acid which turns into acid rain - these are the chemicals that directly affect the fisherfolk and farmers of Maasim).
b. The technology which is going to be used in Maasim is NOT number 5; possibly number 3 or 4, according to the following top officials of Conal Holdings Corporation (Mr. Joseph Nocos, one of the Vice-Presidents of Conal Holdings; Mr. Greg Gonzales, Operations Manager of Maasim CFPP; Mr. Joel Aton, Manager of the Alabel Bunker-C fuel operated power plant; and Mr. Ed Cejar, Project Assurance Manager). We had a chat with them after a meeting in the Catholic Church of Maasim Parish on August 12, 2009.
c. The CFPP of Maasim proposes to plant 7,500 hectares of forest to be known as a "Carbon Sink." Theoretically this is supposed to absorb 100% the carbon dioxide and toxic chemicals from CFPP of Maasim. Moreover, as of now, two countries have signified the intention to pay Conal Holdings 7.5 million U.S. dollars' worth of the said "Carbon Sink Rights" so that they too can have the "right" build more CFPPs in their own countries, whose pollutants will also be absorbed by the Maasim "Carbon Sink." "Utok bolinao" (fish brain) tells us that the winds do not always blow in the direction of the man-made forest or "carbon sink." Secondly, no leaf can absorb mercury and acid rain. Thirdly, the forests of the world are dwindling fast through massive forest fires and continued logging; faster than any number of "carbon sink" can neutralize.

3. OUR POSITIVE PROPOSALS:

a. Everybody in the whole world plant trees. With a corresponding realistic moratorium on all forms of logging.
b. Meanwhile, a moratorium on NEW CFPPs, until the technology has discovered a way to burn coal as fuel that is REALLY safe for the environment and for all living creatures. Scrap ancient and dirty CFPPs.
c. Promote a Theory of Development that is SUSTAINABLE, and benefits ALL rather than just a FEW.
d. Arrange for a cordial meeting with the FINANCIERS (local and foreign) of the proposed Maasim CFPP. The above officers of the Conal Holdings Corporation, and the "pressured" government officials who "approved" the project are NOT the REAL decision-makers. They are merely EMPLOYEES that have to do a JOB to please their employers or financiers. Yes, THEY TOO are passengers in this ONLY ONE BOAT we have called Mother Earth. They sink with us, God forbid, and there is no place to jump into the borderless ocean of space.
e. Finally, the BANKS (foreign and local) should also be engaged in this GLOCAL ISSUE.

4. OUR FAITH is based on the common teaching of the BIBLE, the KORAN and the TRADITIONAL BELIEFS of Indigenous Peoples that GOD (by whatever NAME, "The God-of- your- understanding"), UNANIMOUSLY teach that:

a. All of nature and all living creatures were created and are being sustained by ONE SUPREME CREATOR.
b. This SUPREME CREATOR gave all this to us, NOT TO DESTROY, but to protect and nourish so that all created beings live in harmony.
c. All have a DUTY to obey "the-God-of-our-understanding." In order to do this, the people signed a HOLY COVENANT (between the people of Maasim and Allah, the Christian God and DWATA of the Indigenous Peoples) - the people promise to obey God by taking care of God's creation; and God promises to be with them, as God has done with the people of Moses.

The RIMT, together with the SCPAP-MP3C (Santa Cruz Parish Against Pollution - Maasim Peoples Coalition on Climate Change) organized all the Christians, Muslims and Indigenous Peoples into one coalition of the Tri-Pepoles. On the occasion of the annual fiesta of the parish on Septmber 14 (the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross), theTri-Peoples of Maasim did a PANAW or Pilgrim Walk from three assembly points to the town plaza. There, an "Ecumenical and Inter-Cultural Prayer Rally" was held. The signatures of the HOLY COVENANT were solemnly offered inside a locally made "Ark of the Covenant" by the "ordained" ministers of the Christians, Muslims and Indigenous Peoples. About five to six thousand individuals joined the PANAW. The Trip-Peoples of Maasim were joined by numerous delegations from the Diocese of Marbel, and by NGOs (Non-government Organiztions) from General Santos City. Fr. Picx Picardal, C.Ss.R biked with about ten people from Davao City. They were joined at General Santos City towards Maasim by about 20 bikers (priests and lay) from Marbel and Gensan City. It was a site to behold.
When we planned this PANAW campaign last 24 July 2009, the people and some of the local leaders were rather desperate. We heard comments like "Supak unta mi sa CFPP, apan na-aprobahan na man sa mga kagamhanan; wala na kitay mahimo." (We would like to oppose this CPP, but the powers-that-be have already approved it; there is nothing we can do about it.) The biggest grace that the people received because of the PANAW was to revive their hope and faith that they (the people) not the powers-that-be, have the right and the power to make decisions about the CFPP in Maasim and anywhere else in the world.
The next step is to tell the MAIN FINANCIER, the British Virgin Islands Corporation based in EGCO-Thailand, that contrary to the report of Conal Holdings and the government of the Philippines, the majority of the people of Maasim are against the CFPP. That they will stop the construction of the power plant through peaceful and effective means. Therefore, this venture would not be economically profitable for the local and foreign financiers.
We continue to ask the support of the readers of this NEWSLETTER. The CFPP issue is the problem of the whole world. Let us be together in prayer and effective action - in solidarity with all cultures and religions.

FR. EMY MANINGO, C.Ss.R.
Member, RIMT (Redemptorist Itinerant Mission Team)
Maasim Parish, Sarangani Province, Southern Mindanao