ROY P. MUDANZA is heeding the call and great challenge of our time for a pro-people and new kind of governance, new politics, and collective leadership in the Municipality of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro. “I wish to make the meaningful social and political change we desire as a people and the goal of social reform and good governance”, Mudanza said during RPM founding assembly on September 1, 2012.
Author Archives: jasminesantiago
Statement of Unity against the coal-fired power plant in Subic
Ayaw namin ng Coal Plant sa Subic at Olongapo City !
The people of Olongapo and Subic have spoken against the project of the RP Energy otherwise known to be the joint venture company between the Aboitiz Power Co., Meralco and the Taiwan Cogeneration Corporation (TCC) for a 600MW Coal-fired Power Plant in Redondo Peninsula, Cawag, Municipality of Subic, Zambales.
Such sentiment is clearly stated in various statements, position papers, resolutions, petitions and even on-line campaigns for the following reasons:
The project violated the previous terms and conditions with the SBMA that TCC will be a Joint Venture with SBMA, that it would be environmentally friendly, and that it would provide affordable power to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Area. The conditions clearly stated in their present ECC have not been complied with such as addressing Greenhouse Gas and toxic emissions into the atmosphere, Subic Bay waters, Subic Forest and its eco-system. Despite the violations an ECC was approved and issued by DENR. Even with the non-compliance of the conditions for the existing project for 300MW Coal-fired Power Plant for which and ECC was secured by the proponents, the same project is now applying to expand to 600MW Coal-fired Power Plant on the same location.
The severe negative effect on the eco-tourism image of Subic Freeport will result to loss of tourism incomes, pollution and negative effect to public health. Possible acid rain formation endangering the last Central Luzon rain forest within the Subic Bay Freeport are not addressed at all. Furthermore, the 100% export of power generated by the coal-fired plant to national grid in contradiction to promises and commitments for reasonable and cheaper power in the Freeport and neighboring Local Governments cannot be met.
On the other hand, the SBMA declared that Social Acceptability will be a requirement for projects that are environmentally related. Without clear, transparent and accountable social acceptability, an ECC should not be issued to such project within the greater Subic Bay Area.
Clearly, the project does not have ‘social acceptability’ as it is opposed by the directly affected communities in the Municipality of Subic where the coal plant will be constructed; It is mainly opposed by the multi-sectoral NGOs and POs represented by the Zambales-Olongapo Civil Society Network. The project is vehemently opposed by the Olongapo City Government for health and environmental reasons. In fact, two City Resolutions have been passed and submitted to the SBMA Board and concerned government agencies. The deliberations of the Sangunian Bayan of Subic strongly opposes the same project. A manifesto was in fact issued by the Municipal Council Leaders rejecting the project. The Zambales Provincial Board strongly oppose what would be the second Coal-Fired Power Plant in Zambales after the Masinloc Coal Power Plant. (that failed to get approval for its own expansion to 600W). Moreover, the project is opposed by various tourism-related locators such as the Ocean Adventure, Zoobic Safari, Subic Resorts and Hotels, association of the Greater Subic Bay Tourism industries and other business establishments within the Greater Subic Bay Area, in the City of Olongapo and Subic Municipality. The residents within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone particularly in Kalayaan and Binictican Residential Area strongly oppose the project.
The first grand protest rally held yesterday, 29th of August in the City of Olongapo outrightly rejecting the project is a clear manifestation of a unified stand supported by various political forces and personalities. The protest campaign crossed political boundaries and has now served as a unifiying movement even by contending political personalities to reject the coal power plant. Akbayan Representative Walden Bello, who already filed a congressional investigation was with the people’s protest rally yesterday. Likewise, Congresswoman Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay of the first district of Zambales who was also present, committed to file a congressional investigation of the anomalous project during the term of DENR Secretary Lito Atienza. Mayor James “Bong” Gordon of Olongapo City was also present with the City Councilors and Vice Governor Ramon Lacbain, represented the Provincial Board of Zambales in denouncing and rejecting the coal power plant.
Recent resolutions demanding the revocation of the exisiting ECC and outright rejection of the project was received from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Olongapo Medical Society and the Olongapo-Zambales Cancer Society. More opposition letters and resolutions are pouring in from the Barangay Councils, Schools and Colleges, Church Organizations, People’s Organizations and concerned citizens.
Meanwhile, the movement support the renewable energy source that was just recently approved by the new SBMA Board. The Solar Energy and Wind Turbines with a combined total capacity of 110MW as approved is the most fitting power source of Subic Bay area given its ecological environment and eco-tourism industry.
In behalf of the civil society organizations and various stakeholders in the greater Subic Bay area we hereby reiterate our unitied opposition to the Coal-fired power plant project.
We simply state our unified stand –
“AYAW NAMIN NG COAL PLANT SA SUBIC AT OLONGAPO”
ALEX HERMOSO
Lead Convener, Zambales-Olongapo Civil Society Network
Sep 21, 2011
Public hospitals gets zero, ‘as in zero’, capital outlay while DBM slashes rural health units budget by P20B!
Hospitals in ICU!
Warning that the country’s public hospitals were already in critical condition, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño today lamented that there are even more drastic cuts in the proposed budgets for local government hospitals and health units for 2012.
“I am very dissapointed with the way our health sector has been treated by this government. Years of underfunding have brought our hospitals to the ICU. Now the Executive wants to bring it to the morgue. Congress should really step in and do something here. This is already an emegency case; we should realign more funds to our public hospitals,” he stressed.
In last night’s interpellation on the budget of the Department of Health, House appropriations committee vice chair Limkaitchong told Casiño that from the original proposal of P25 billion, the budget for 487 devolved local hospitals and rural health units was reduced to a mere P5 billion unde the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).
“With such a miniscule allocation for our local and rural health units, the 3 million beneficiaries of the DSWDs conditional cash transfers will not be able to get competent medical services even if they go to our health centers. Kalokohan ito,” he said.
The progressive solon was also surprised to learn that there is no capital outlay allotted for the 12 specialty hospitals and 55 local hospitals directly managed by the DOH. “There is zero, as in zero capital outlay. It’s not in the budget books.”
Instead, only 25 regional hospitals under the DOH will have to make do with P3 billion in funds allotted for feasibility studies and equity under the department’s Private-Public Partnership program, the guidelines of which have yet to be finalized.
“I cannot imagine how our hospitals will survive with such a small and tentative allocation. The touted PPP does not even have guidelines yet. It is still under review and even if it is approved, not all hospitals will be able to get funding. Where’s the prioritization of health there? No wonder our hospitals are being forced to increase their fees and act like pawnshops,” Casiño said.
CLEAN COAL IS A DIRTY LIE
“We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel
when we should be using Nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy—sun, wind and tide.
I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power!
I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”
– Thomas Edison, 1931
As we confront global warming and make choices about how to meet energy needs for the next generation, it is imperative to tap and develop the potential of efficient, clean and renewable energy sources and reconsider the heedless rush to build new coal-fired power plant in Subic, Zambales. Considering all the costs of coal along its entire fuel-cycle – from mine to smokestack, makes the case for renewable energy and efficiency even stronger.
Enlightened provincial, municipal and barangay government officials in Olongapo City and Zambales along with, business groups, church people, community leaders, youth, teachers and other professionals including grassroots coalitions and organizations like the Olongapo-Zambales Civil Society Organization (OZCSN), are all making the case with citizens and uniting strongly to stop new plants from being built.
CLEAN COAL? It’s a dirty lie. There’s no such thing as clean coal. You burn coal and you get carbon. Unfortunately, coal is dirty. It is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the world (Energy Information Administration). Extracting and burning coal generates hundreds of millions of waste products including fly ash, bottom ash, gas desulfurization sludge (which contains mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals). Sadly, there are more numerous dirty samples of the byproducts and hazards that result from coal use.
We all know that the industry’s “clean coal” message is mere public relation’s spin – it is an advertising slogan. Like “fat-free burger” or “interest-free loans.” It’s a last ditch grab of monopoly capitalists to extract more super-profits from the coal industry.
Coal industry is a 19th century antiquated thing. Until 21st century, the exploitative US monopoly capitalists, leading the coal industry has invested multimillion dollars in their aggressive propaganda campaigns on pushing the myth of “clean coal.” American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity are among front groups funded by US to create confusion about the health and environmental risks associated with coal burning.
As always, third world countries including the Philippines – a subservient client, are dumping grounds of obsolete technologies by world monopoly capitalists using dummy and or/ profit greedy local junior partners like the UNHOLY TRINITY – Manila Electric Co., Aboitiz Power Corp. and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp.
NO TO COAL! Zambales and Olongapo City doesn’t need more coal — we need Green Energy. The Philippines has sufficient technically and economically accessible renewable energy to meet current energy demand almost six times over. Renewable technologies, such as wind, solar, waste-to-energy and many more can revolutionize the process and ways we produce energy and help prevent dangerous global warming.
Click to sign petition. www.ipetitions.com/notocoal
Visit Notocoal
COAL PLANT: Facts & Figures
Burning coal is one of the most harmful practices on the planet. It causes irreparable damage to the environment, people’s health and communities around the world. The coal industry isn’t paying for the damage it causes, but the world at large is.
Coal may be the cheapest fossil fuel on the market, but its market price is only half the story. The financial price includes a range of factors, from mining and retailing costs to government taxes and, of course, profit, but it ignores some of the biggest taxes, and costs of coal: the tremendous human and environmental damage it causes (Greenpeace).
Consider the following facts and figures:
1. BURNING COAL – cause smog, acid rain, global warming and air toxics. A typical coal plant generates 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary human cause of global warming–as much carbon dioxide as cutting down 161 million trees.
2. SOLID WASTE – a typical 500-megawatt coal plant includes more than 125,000 tons of ash and 193,000 tons of sludge from the smokestack scrubber each year.
3. COOLING WATER DISCHARGE – Once the 2.2 billion gallons of water have cycled through the coal-fired power plant, they are released back into the lake, river, or ocean. This “thermal pollution” can decrease fertility and increase heart rates in fish.
4. WASTE HEAT – A typical coal power plant uses only 33-35% of the coal’s heat to produce electricity.
5. COAL MINING ACTIVITIES – Surface coal mining may dramatically alter the landscape. Underground mining is one of the most hazardous of occupations, killing and injuring many in accidents, and causing chronic health problems.
6. COAL TRANSPORTATION – A typical coal plant requires 40 railroad cars to supply 1.4 million tons in a year. That’s 14,600 railroad cars a year. Railroad locomotives, which rely on diesel fuel, emit nearly 1 million tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and 52,000 tons of coarse and small particles in the United States. http://www.ucsusa.org/ (Union of Concerned Scientist)
Click to sign petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/notocoal/
Casiño: No need for MRT/LRT fare hike this year, subsidies retained for 2012
Bayan Muna party list Rep. Teddy Casiño, said there was no need to increase the fare of the MRT/LRT after Congress approved around P7 billion worth of subsidy for 2011.
“There is still enough subsidy for the year for the operations of the MRT and LRT amounting to more than P7 billion so there is no need for the fare increase. As for next year the subsidy for the MRT/ LRT operations is about P 6.04 billion but as specified in the Special Provisions of the DOTC page 1058 of the General Appropriations Bill FY 2012 the MRTA has the option of raising revenues from non-rail collections:
Servicing of Metro Rail Transit Obligations. The amount needed for the payment of prior and current years’ obligations for equity rental and maintenance fees and other obligations, such as, staffing and administrative cost, agency fee, cost for special repairs and systems insurance due to the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC) as specified in the build-lease-transfer agreement executed by the DOTC and MRTC, shall be charged against the fare box revenue and all non-rail collections/income of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT): PROVIDED, That in case of insufficient collections/income, the same may be augmented by the amounts appropriated under B.I.a.7 which shall be released upon submission of a Special Budget request together with a certification of actual expenses incurred and income collected from the foregoing sources: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the DOTC shall submit to the DBM, the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance separate quarterly audited financial statements of the MRT operations, or post on its official website, at least on quarterly basis, said audited financial statements. The Secretary of the Transportation and Communications shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with this requirement.
“It is also obvious that the DOTC is hellbent on passing the buck to commuters but at the same time it has allotted more than P8.5 billion for the private-public partnership scheme for the department. It is ensuring that corporations are subsidized by the government while abdicating its duty to subsidize the mass transit system,” Casiño ended. Bayan Muna
Teddy Casiño as Youth Leader
Teddy Casiño is among the country’s young and principled leaders of the mass movement and a progressive parliamentarian. He is the voice of the opposition especially on issues of graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust. He has faithfully served and fought for the people’s interests in the parliament of the streets and in Congress.
Teddy is on his third and final term as Bayan Muna party-list representative. For the past nine years, he has tirelessly worked for the passage of laws for the people’s welfare such as
Tax Exemption for Minimum Wage Earners (Republic Act 9504), Rent Control Act (R.A. 9653), Strengthening Public Attorney’s Office (R.A. 9406), and Anti-Torture Act (R.A. 9745), and recently, the Students Day Act.
This 15th Congress, he is working for the passage of the Whistleblower’s bill, Freedom of Information Bill, Oil Industry Regulation bill, Tuition Fee Regulation Bill and other bills seeking to increase salaries and wages of workers, government employees, teachers, and others. He has filed over a hundred measures. He is the current chairperson of the House Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development and Senior Vice chair of Higher and Technical Education.
Teddy graduated with a degree in AB Sociology from the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna. He was editor-in-chief of their campus publication, Perspective. He was also national chairperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines. After this, he became the public information officer of the Kilusang Mayo Uno and secretary-general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan until he was elected as Bayan Muna representative in 2004.
Teddy is a writer and a journalist. He served as columnist for BusinessWorld from 1995 to 2004. He also wrote for People’s Bagong Taliba and several on-line magazines. He also had a brief stint in TV as a reporter.
Teddy’s mettle in serving the people and fighting for their interests has been tried and tested. He has a sterling track record and has never figured in any anomaly or scandal. He leads a simple life and is one with the people in their struggle and aspirations. The people’s welfare is prime to him. The trust we have given him has not been squandered or betrayed. #
Social reformist and dynamic leader
Congressman Teddy Casiño is a genuine social reformist and one of the most dynamic young leaders in the country today. He was first swept into the politics of change when, as a high school student in La Salle Green Hills, he volunteered for the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) and took part in the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. The experience changed him so that since then, his life has been characterized by a conscious choice for the road less traveled.
The EDSA experience moved Teddy to become an activist in his freshman year at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB). He became editor-in-chief of the student paper, The UPLB Perspective, from 1989-1991 even as he consistently made it to the honor roll. In 1991, Teddy was elected national president of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), an alliance of over 700 student publications nationwide. He graduated from UPLB with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 1993.
After his stint in the student movement, Teddy joined the labor movement as part of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), where he deepened his commitment to serve the people, especially the working class. Teddy was elected secretary general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), the largest alliance of progressive people’s organizations in the country in 1999 and was catapulted to national prominence in 2001 as one of the youngest leaders of EDSA 2. He was appointed commissioner of the EDSA People Power Commission from 2001-2002 and was accorded the UPLB Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2002. Teddy also served as a commissioner in the District Justice and Peace Commission of the De La Salle Schools in 2005-2006.
Teddy is an accomplished writer and journalist. After being a regular contributor to the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Youngblood column, he became a regular columnist for BusinessWorld from 1995-2004. He also wrote columns for the tabloids and People’s Bagong TalibaFrontpage, the OFW weekly Pinoy Gazette and the online magazine Bulatlat.com. In 2002, he had a short stint in ABS-CBN’s Hoy Gising and The Correspondents.
jasminesantiago
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