Guimaras: The first coal-free province in Visayas

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BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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Wednesday, February 28, 2018
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GUIMARAS has been declared the first coal-free province in the Visayas following a statement made by Gov. Samuel T. Gumarin together with the municipal mayors coming from the different towns on the island.

“We want to show the world that we don’t need dirty energy to power development. The people of Guimaras have embraced renewables over dirty, polluting energy. We want to show that a sustainable development path, powered by renewable energy, is not only possible, but more viable. And we hope that our humble example will resonate to other provinces and to the world,” Gumarin said.

Guimaras is home to the 54-megawatt San Lorenzo wind farm, the first-ever in the Visayas, which has been operational since 2014.

It was learned that there are plans for expanding the facility with an additional 40-megawatts in Barangay Sebaste, Sibunag town.

The power generated from the wind farm is directed to the grid and shared with member-consumers across Luzon and the Visayas through the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

With the 40-megawatt expansion, the operators of the wind farms expect to also cover the energy demands of neighboring Iloilo province.

It can be noted that Guimaras has had a long history of resistance against fossil fuels.

In 2006, Guimaras experienced a devastating oil spill after M/T Solar I, operated by Petron Corporation and Sunshine Maritime Development Corporation, sunk off the waters of Panay Gulf.

In 2010, Guimaras took a strong position against a coal-fired power plant being proposed at that time in Barangay Ingore, Iloilo City, which would have had very adverse effects on the health and economy of the people on the island province, especially their world-famous mango industry.

Since then, Guimaras has transformed itself into a community that has embraced wind power as their energy of choice.

The declaration made by Gumarin and the other municipal mayors was made during ceremonies coinciding with the visit of the Greenpeace flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, on the island province.

The visit of the Rainbow Warrior is part of its Climate Justice Ship Tour in the Philippines, which is highlighting the power of people to rise up against the devastating impacts of climate change.

The stop in Guimaras gives focus to the initiatives of communities in their resistance against coal and rising up to the renewable energy challenge that should encourage other communities and local government units to do the same.

“The commitment to go coal-free means that the whole of Guimaras is pursuing a sustainable development path and is a clear manifestation of communities themselves taking the lead towards reclaiming their rights to a healthy environment and stable climate,” said Khevin Yu, Climate and Energy Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia-Philippines.

With the abundance of renewable energy sources in the Philippines, such as wind and solar, coupled with the decreasing prices of renewable energy technology, Greenpeace and other civil society organizations are calling for a halt on new coal and urging the rest of the country to follow the example of Guimaras. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
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