Semirara coal mining transition plan sought

MANILA, Philippines — The Diocese of Antique on Sunday urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to include a Just Transition Roadmap for Semirara in the Philippine Energy Plan to ensure a shift to renewable energy and protect workers affected by the transition.

The appeal followed a gathering of Semirara Island residents in Caluya town, Antique, who raised concerns about possible job losses as the coal operating contract of Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) with the government is set to expire next year.

The diocese appealed to the government to ensure that workers receive just compensation and appropriate assistance amid uncertainty and changes in mining operations. The Semirara Islands are considered a major coal mining site in the country.

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‘Uncertain’

The diocese said that while it recognizes SMPC’s efforts in worker welfare, environmental rehabilitation, livelihood programs and economic diversification, it noted the lack of a just transition roadmap for renewable energy.

“What appears to be lacking, however, is an overarching, publicly articulated, time-bound and adequately funded Just Transition Roadmap that brings these various efforts together toward a clear goal: the gradual transition of Semirara and its people away from dependence on coal,” the diocese said in a pastoral letter.

It noted that without such a framework, the direction of other initiatives would remain “uncertain.”

“Any future operator should be required not only to present a credible plan for extracting coal, but also an enforceable plan for workers, communities, environmental rehabilitation, economic diversification, and the island’s progressive transition away from dependence on coal,” the diocese added.

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The diocese explained the call for a just transition to renewable energy was not just an environmental concern but also an appeal for justice and human dignity.

“This responsibility belongs not only to government and industry. Care for our common home is a mission entrusted to all of us,” it said. /cb