By Nanette Guadalquiver/Philippine News Agency
BACOLOD CITY — Parishioners formed a human chain along the roads of the Diocese of San Carlos in northern Negros on Monday morning as part of the church-led initiatives in pushing for a coal-free Negros Island.
The activity, which coincided with the observance of Earth Day 2019, started around 8 a.m. as participants, including the youth, lined up with arms linked together by the roadside from La Libertad, Negros Oriental to Manapla in Negros Occidental.
Photos and videos of the event were posted on the Facebook accounts of various participants, including those in San Carlos City, Escalante City, and Cadiz City. Some photos were also tagged in the accounts of Bishop Gerardo Alminaza and Diocese of San Carlos Social Action Center.
Alminaza, who joined the human chain with church leaders and parishioners in San Carlos City, said in a statement that “Easter is about sharing the power of hope and love and celebrating the joy of discovering there’s strength in collective action.”
“We made a clear and strong statement: We want Negros to be coal-free and a renewable energy hub,” the bishop said after the activity.
In a Facebook post, the Commission on Youth-Diocese of San Carlos cited the Earth Day 2019 “Protect Our Species” campaign in “taking a stand against dirty energy and demand a better future.”
In a statement issued by the commission and the San Carlos City Young Environmentalists Core Hub, said they “unfold history as the young San Carloseños form a human chain to represent their unity.”
“We raise our voice against the filthy lies of ‘clean coal.’ Coal-fired power plants damage the only earth we have. Coal-fired power plants deteriorate the only life we have,” the groups said.
“We unfold history as the wisdom of the generation ignited the hopeful sentiments of the young people to safeguard Mother Earth from the fatal effects of coal-fired power plants,” they added.
Both groups said they “mobilize to make a noise and lobby an ordinance to demand for a coal-free city”.
In San Carlos, after the human chain activity, participants watched the screening of the documentary film “Our Power”, which features veteran journalist Cheche Lazaro investigating the impacts of coal-fired power plants on local communities in Bataan, Cebu, and Negros Island.
The church-led campaign started in October last year when Alminaza, in a position paper, expressed opposition to the proposed construction of a 300-megawat coal-fired plant by SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., the power arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., in the northern Negros city.
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