Deputy Speaker and Antique Lone District Rep. Loren Legarda has welcomed the Duterte government’s declaration of moratorium on the establishment of new greenfield coal-fired power plants in the country.
The House leader cheered at Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi’s pronouncement that the government will no longer accept proposals to set up new coal power plants.
“This is a much-awaited development that should be embraced by businesses and households long clamoring for better energy services. Filipinos deserve and can soon enjoy reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy. We do not have to settle for just one benefit of clean energy, but we should work to achieve all these benefits, all together,” Legarda said in a statement.
In a speech during Singapore International Energy Week on October 27, Cusi expressed the Duterte government ’s commitment to push "for the transition from fossil fuel-based technology utilisation to cleaner energy sources to ensure more sustainable growth for the country.”
Legarda, who was recently appointed by the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) as Thematic Ambassador for Parliaments, cited that the DOE’s decision is a big step in the right direction towards environmental sustainability and protection
“By giving importance to the DOE’s mandate to modernize our power sector, aggressively pursue genuine competition, and provide consumers with least cost options, the agency is now on the right track towards leaving a legacy that contributes to our country’s sustainability and the global fight against dangerous climate change,”she said.
The country’s climate champion expressed hope that the Philippines would eventually follow suit to fellow East Asian countries in committing to work towards decarbonisation, citing the need to immediately shift to a ‘more flexible power supply mix’.
"China, Japan and South Korea have now pledged to achieve net zero carbon by 2050, which is why this pivot in our energy policies is a bold and strategic move in the furtherance of our national interest just like our fellow East Asian economies,” Legarda, a Commissioner of the Global Commission on Adaptation, said.