BATAAN CAPITOL – Bataan Governor Albert S. Garcia will allot a modest relocation site to affected residents complaining against the operation of a coal power plant in Limay town.
The announcement was done during the multi-partite monitoring team (MMT) meeting held at the Bulwagan ng Bayan here led by its chairperson, Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR) regional director, Lormelyn Claudio.
“I already talked to a private housing developer and I told them we are willing to enter into a public private partnership project to build a suitable residential area for these affected residents,” Garcia said.
The meeting is in connection with the environmental and health issues being tackled since last month, while formulating solutions in series of consultations and data gathering to address the complaints.
The group, Claudio said, continues to find ways to come up with “win-win solutions” for both sides and for the company to move forward in their development efforts to provide more energy to the Luzon grid.
SMC Global Power and Petron Bataan Refinery officials were also present along with other representatives from concerned agencies like the DENR, Limay municipal government and other sectors. The complainants’ representatives were also present.
Bataan 2nd District Congressman Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia III was also present in the meeting.
“Isa sa mga permanente at karapat dapat na solusyon ay marelocate yung mga residente, understandably, industrial yung area kaya hindi talaga siya suitable for residential living,” Governor Garcia said.
Garcia also called for the cooperation of the Limay municipal government for them to solve the problems. The municipal government is the agency that will give the necessary permits and other documents for the developer to push through with the project.
The affected residents of Sitio Pex in Barangay Lamao welcome the idea and said they will need formal talks with Governor Garcia, Limay LGU and the SMC management for the details of their relocation efforts.
Garcia also assured the residents SMC is willing to extend some financial assistance for other expenses that will arise in the course of their transfer to the relocation site. –Mhike R. Cigaral