WE, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, ACADEMICIANS, BUSINESS PERSONS AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY ARE OPPOSING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT BY THE DMCI in BARANGAY TUGBO, MUNICIPALITY OF MOBO, PROVINCE OF MASBATE, BECAUSE:

1.CLEAN COAL IS A MYTH. There is no such thing as “clean coal” because by nature coal is dirty.Coal is an obsolete and dirty technology. No known technology can change this fact. There are available options to utilize renewable sources of energy – both Masbate City and Mobo have viable wind generation potential for solar and wind energy (US National Renewable Energy Laboratory);

1. COAL IS THE BIGGEST POLLUTANT AMONG ENERGY SOURCES. It emits Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxides which are SILENT KILLERS as they pose hazard to health and environment.

2. COAL IS WIDELY ACCEPTED AS A GLOBAL MISTAKE. In fact the world’s major economies i.e. Germany, China, US, Brazil are abandoning coal.

3. DMCI MEANS BUSINESS NOT SERVICE. The DMCI is a sister company of Semirara Coal Mining Corporation in Antique. They ventured into power generation obviously to make use of their coal products.

4. MASBATE IS AN EXPERIMENTAL SITE FOR DMCI COAL POWER GENERATION. The DMCI has no track record on coal power generation, therefore this initiative is purely is a pilot/test project. The DMCI has no credibility in their assertion. All that being said are mere theories and “wish lists ” of the company;

5. THERE ARE NO BOUNDARIES TO AIR AND WATER. Pollution respects no generational and spatial boundaries, therefore the City of Masbate and all municipalities in the Province are affected:

• DMCI Plant Site is located 20 meters from the nearest residential area and 800 meters from the Buntod Marine Sanctuary;

• The proposed DMCI Coal-Fired Power Plant may trigger local water crisis. This technology demands 1,100 gallons of potable water per megawatt (Union of Concerned Scientists) which may be sourced from our freshwater supply;

• The project threatens our ecosystem and local food production:

• There will be an increase in the ambient or natural temperature in the immediate vicinity;

• It will disturb the ocean ecosystem as there will be a constant passage of the vessels that carry coal, traffic in the navigational lane and the expected wastage during loading and unloading;

• It will destroy our mangrove ecosystem;

• It will adversely affect the livelihood of our local fishermen and farmers, thus affect our food production.

I am affixing my signature on this MANIFESTO and pledge my commitment to support this CAMPAIGN to STOP the proposed establishment of coal-fired power plant in the Municipality of Mobo, Province of Masbate