Priest, green warriors hike Quezon-Manila vs eco-destruction

LUCENA CITY — Catholic priest Fr. Warren Puno and 34 fellow environmentalists launched a week-long protest march from Atimonan, Quezon, to Manila on Monday to denounce environmental destruction and injustices faced by marginalized communities.

Dubbed “Lakbay Panaghoy II – Kalikasan, Kapayapaan, Katarungan” (Journey of Lament II – Environment, Peace, Justice), the 154-kilometer protest hike started after the 5 a.m. Holy Mass at the Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Atimonan.  The march will continue until after Oct. 12.

“This is more than just a protest. It is a journey of faith, prayer, sacrifice, and conviction,” Puno, 48, head of the Ministry of Ecology of the Diocese of Lucena, said in an online interview with the Inquirer on Sunday night.

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READ: Quezon priest urges DOE review of Atimonan coal plant project

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Puno said the protest was staged “because many cries remain unheard — the cries of nature, which continues to be destroyed; of farmers fighting for their land; of fisher folk whose livelihoods are at risk; and of the poor, who are the first to suffer from the climate crisis.”

“As a Church, we cannot remain silent in the face of such suffering. It is part of our prophetic mission to be the voice of the voiceless and amplify the voices of those who have long been ignored. We cannot preach love for God while neglecting His creation and our fellow human beings,” he said.

Puno, convenor of Quezon for Environment (QUEEN), has been leading opposition to the proposed 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Atimonan along the coast of Lamon Bay.

“Our more than decade-long struggle against the proposed coal-fired power plant in Atimonan reminds us why a just transition to clean energy must be given serious attention,” said Puno, parish priest of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish in Barangay Poon in Atimonan.

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Atimonan One Energy (A1E), a wholly owned subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), which is the power generation arm of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), is the developer of the proposed Atimonan project.

The project has been in development for years, but construction of the proposed power plant has yet to begin.

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Puno said communities in Quezon, which he described as the country’s “coal capital,” have consistently opposed the Atimonan project.

Quezon is already home to coal-fired power facilities in Mauban and Pagbilao, in addition to the proposed Atimonan plant.

In November last year, Puno and fellow environmental advocates staged the first “Lakad Panaghoy,” a three-day, 31-kilometer protest march from Mauban to Tayabas City.

“We are not against development. We are fighting for development that does not destroy nature or sacrifice people’s lives and livelihoods,” Puno said.

READ: DOE openness to new coal plants draws concern in Quezon

The initial group of marchers consists of 20 senior citizens and 14 others, mostly young people. Some will leave the march at designated points and be replaced by environmentalists and concerned citizens from municipalities along the route.

Puno said the group would engage communities along the route and bring their concerns to government agencies in Manila.

“We are not walking because we have lost hope. We are walking because we believe there is still something we can do. We will engage in dialogue with affected communities along our route and bring their voices to Manila as we meet with government agencies,” he said.

“Every step is a prayer. Every kilometer is a sacrifice. And every community we pass through reminds us that what we are fighting for is not only for the present but also for generations to come,” he added.

The first leg of the protest hike will cover 31.2 kilometers from Atimonan to neighboring Pagbilao. Each leg will start and end at a church where the marchers will rest and spend the night.

The “Lakbay Panaghoy” will pass through Lucena City, Sariaya and Tiaong in Quezon; and San Pablo City, Calauan, Bay, Los Baños, Calamba City, Cabuyao, Biñan and San Pedro in Laguna before reaching Parañaque City in Metro Manila.

The march will end at the national offices of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Agrarian Reform and Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Quezon City, where the protesters plan to submit community protest letters and seek dialogue with government officials.

READ: Quezon priest warns banks against backing Atimonan coal plant

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“May this lament not only be heard but also become the beginning of meaningful action. For there can be no genuine peace without justice, and no just future if we continue to destroy our one and only home,” Puno said./coa