Negros Oriental rejects coal power

By Alena Mae S. Flores – April 12, 2018 at 07:10 pm
from manilastandard.net

Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo issued an order declaring the local government unit as an environment-friendly and clean-energy province.

Under the order, the province will “adopt a policy that all offices and local government instrumentalities in the province of Negros Oriental shall not issue any permit, authorization, endorsement or any expression of support to the development of coal-fired power plants in the province.”

Negros Oriental joined Guimaras, Sorsogon and Ilocos Norte as pioneers in the movement for a clean-energy Philippines.

Negros Oriental also opted to utilize clean and renewable energy in its 19 municipalities and six cities to support economic growth and to deviate from activities harmful to the environment.

“Consistent with this direction, the province of Negros Oriental shall, on the other hand, strive to develop and utilize clean and renewable energy to support economic growth, and on the other hand, veer away from activities that are destructive to the environment  and harmful of the Negrenses’ health and livelihood such as the operation of coal-fired power plants,” the order stated.

The order aims to support the national government in meeting its commitments in line with the Instrument of Accession to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was signed by the president.