Is electrocuting a Philippine cockatoo, locally known as the Katala, the price Palawenos are willing to pay for charging their mobile phones and laptops?
It’s that trade-off non-governmental organization Katala Foundation Inc. (KFI) worries about if a proposed 15-megawatt coal-fired power plant were to be built in the coastal barangay of Panacan in Narra, Palawan.
The power plant’s proposed location is about one kilometer from the Rasa Island Wildlife Sanctuary, which houses the critically endangered Katalas as well as other threatened species like the grey imperial pigeon, the marine turtle and the dugong.
View Rasa Island in a larger map
Although the structure will not be installed in the protected island of Rasa itself, KFI fears, among other things, that the structures will block the bird’s ability to fly from the mainland to the island. “Which in turn would result in a reduction of the carrying capacity of Rasa Island for the species, since parent birds could not any more provide their young with sufficient food,” the NGO said in a statement on Monday.
“Experts and KFI stated that the coal plant would result in cockatoo casualties due to collisions and electrocution at the feeder power lines,” they added.
The Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), locally known as the Katala, is a critically endangered species that is endemic to the Philippines. Photo by Nicky Icarangal, http://www.birdingphilippines.com
Apart from environmental concerns, the group questioned the harmful effects of the power plant to the health and livelihood of the nearby fishing village and rice fields.
The Consunji-led DMCI Power Corp. has so far refused to comment on the issue. The company’s legal counsel, Francis Allan Rubio, said, “We are coming with a response [regarding] our next course of action.”
‘Special case’
According to KFI, the town of Narra, which prides itself as the “Philippine Cockatoo Capital of the World”, was purportedly not consulted about the project as the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) issued a Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) clearance last February 22.
The municipal and provincial clearance should have been issued first before a SEP clearance could be granted. A SEP clearance will pave the way for an application and approval of an environmental clearance certificate.
“Kahit walang endorsement [from the local government unit, SEP clearance can be obtained],” KFI’s chief operating officer Indira Widdmann told GMA News. “[That] has been a practice.”
However, Alex Marcaida, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development’s media bureau and public affairs chief, countered that the coal power plant was a “special case” considering the urgency of the Palawan “power crisis.”
“[I know] we should not be befogged because of the time constraint… Urgency was not the reason for PCSD [to approve the clearance] but it is the for business sector,” he explained.
Prompted by the increasing electricity demand of the province, the Palawan Electric Cooperative, last July, awarded the Consunji-led DMCI Power Corp. the 25-megawatt supply contract.
Before 2012 ended and as part of an earlier deal, commercial operations at DMCI’s 5-megawatt diesel-fire power plant in Palawan started.
Balancing act
Before the project’s approval, Marcaida noted that the PCSD’s technical staff recommended that the project be relocated.
“Tama naman ang [lokasyon ng proyekto] dahil nasa multiple use zone. [Hindi pa noon naconsider] ang critical habitat for wildlife,” he noted, pointing out that the technical team had recommended the project to be relocated in Brgy. San Isidro also in Narra town. San Isidro is in the southern portion of the town, which is farther away from the protected island.
The PCSD media relation’s officer noted that they were in the dark whether their recommendation was a condition set for the project’s approval.
He added that the approving council has yet to release the copy of the SEP clearance document, which contains the conditions for approval.
“Kritikal na usapin ‘yung conservation ng Katala. Ang mitigation lang na pwede ay ilipat ang planta sa ibang lugar… [It is a] critical condition on our part. Hindi magkasundo staff and council[ng PCSD]. First time ito na ‘di magkasundo,” he detailed.
KFI’s Widmann backed Marcaida as she reminded that “the proponent should submit a new environmental impact assessment.”
According to Widmann, the coal-fired power plant poses another great challenge to Palawan.
“May challenge na nga kami sa mining, ngayon ito naman. Coal is not even a clean source of energy. It is not renewable,” she noted. “Give more emphasis on the environment. Ito ang kakaiba sa Palawan to the rest of the Philippines.”
Marcaida concurred saying, “PCSD tries to balance economics and conservation. It is yet again a balancing act to protect the environment while also looking at possible economic gains.”
sources : gmanetwork.com
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