Environmental advocates on Thursday condemned the House’s adoption of the Senate Bill No. 2793, or the Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act, as it promotes the use of gas, a fossil fuel with emissions that accelerate climate change and increase the traffic of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers that may damage the fragile environment of the passage.
The passage and subsequent adoption of the bill comes as the Philippines is battered by a record-breaking four typhoons in a month, a phenomenon worsened by climate change from greenhouse gas emissions produced by using fossil fuels such as gas and coal.
“Gas produces methane, which is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere in a 20-year period. It is not at all a ‘cleaner’ alternative. The most vulnerable communities already feeling the effects of worsening climate disasters, with the upcoming Supertyphoon Ofel being the fifth storm to make landfall in the country this month,” said Bishop Gerry Alminaza, convenor of WagGas, a network of communities advocating against gas projects in the country.
Alminaza said that a holistic consideration of all the effects of further use of fossil fuels such as gas would have shown that their development would run counter to the interests of the country and would benefit only a few, leaving the poorest of the poor to deal with the aftermath.
“It is unfortunate that our senators listened to the energy company lobby and considered only short-term numbers such as profits and loss. This bill will increase the direct threat to marine seascape Verde Island Passage (VIP) from the traffic of more ships and tankers, and the emissions of power plants using gas,” said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, convenor of Protect VIP.
“Methane produced by these gas-powered plants would exacerbate the calamities we continue to suffer from, not to mention increase the cost of electricity for consumers and reduce the country’s energy independence,” said Gerry Arances, convenor of Power for People Coalition (P4P).
Alminaza said that the President should veto the measure when the time comes, especially as the Philippines attends the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, which comes as part of its obligations under the 2015 Paris Agreement. Alminaza will also be in attendance at the climate conference.
“We have been calling for the junking of this bill through dialogues, letters, and even attendance during hearings, but it seems the voice of the people always falls on deaf ears when it comes to the Senate and Congress. There is no place for gas in the Philippines, and we call on the allies of the people and environment to stand with us against this destructive fuel,” Bishop Alminaza said.