By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—Top officials and
members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Ilocos Norte Chapter
lauded the provincial government’s effort to keep the province clean, green and
free from destructive coal power plants.
Ricardo Tolentino, PCCI
president said the
province is on the right track of safeguarding its resources and stay away from
investments of coal-powered plants
“Declaring Ilocos Norte
as coal-free manifests our effort to make use of clean and renewable
energy like our wind mills. This is a good development on our part considering
the stronger typhoons and floods that come our way due to climate change or extreme
weather condition,” Mr. Tolentino said.
The more than 50 active
members of the PCCI-Ilocos Norte are mostly engaged in construction, trading
and local manufacturing among others.
According to Mr. Tolentino,
the local business sector has minimal electric consumption hence the
declaration of a coal-free province works more to their advantage.
For North Luzon Renewable’s
(NLR), a joint venture of AC Energy, UPC Philippines Wind, Mitsubishi
Corporation’s DGA and Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure Fund
with a commercial operating wind farm at Brgy. Caparispisan in Pagudpud, Ilocos
Norte since November 2014, said the passage of Provincial Resolution
2016-07-003 declaring Ilocos Norte a “clean, green and coal-free province” is a
welcome development as it acknowledges Ilocos Norte’s commitment to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Conference of Parties
21.
“North Luzon Renewables
remains a steadfast partner of the Provincial Government in this regard through
its renewable energy production, as well as reforestation and forest protection
efforts at its 81MW wind energy facility in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte,” said a
statement of NLR led by its president, Roman Miguel de Jesus.
At the height of typhoon
“Lawin”, the windmills of Ilocos Norte were spared from the typhoon’s wrath as
the province’s strategic location is covered by the mountain ranges of Sierra
Madre and Cordillera.
As Ilocos Norte is a gateway
to the largest markets in the world like China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea,
Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Mariano “Nonong” Marcos II, main sponsor of the
resolution, reiterated earlier that Ilocos Norte continues to promote renewable
energy programs and it should be kept that way as the country’s first
clean, green and coal-free province.
The coal-free measure of
Ilocos Norte took effect on August 22, 2016.
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