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PAGTATAP Foundation, Inc.
c/o Robert Peter Alojipan
OPD, Makati Medical Center
Makati, Metro Manila
November 21, 2002
The Honorable Sally Zaldivar-Perez
Governor of Antique
San Jose, Antique
Dear Madam:
Because your roots are from Pandan, Antique, I know that you can identify
with me and can relate to what I am saying in this letter.
Not too long ago, we were able to stop MMDA from dumping Metro Manila's
garbage on Semirara Island. It took every bit of our determination, stamina,
and courage to topple MMDA. Now, while we are still healing from the battle
scars from our encounter with MMDA, we are yet again facing another enemy…
NAPOCOR…that wants to relocate its rejected diesel power plant from Luzon to
Patira, Pandan.
If NAPOCOR's diesel power plant materializes in Patria, we might as well
say goodbye to our peaceful, healthy existence, our clean air, our beautiful
beaches, our birds and fishes, our coral reefs, our lush greenery…the quality
of life that is uniquely our own. What will replace our utopia will be the
pollution of our sea, water, land, and air; dirt, oil and soot to sully our
landscape; cleared groves; noise instead of birds singing; sickness and
respiratory diseases; death and destruction everywhere. Then it will be too
late. The die is cast, harm has been done, and there is no turning back.
So I ask, "What NAPOCOR 'jobs that will improve the economy' are they talking
about? How many jobs will be created and how many of our kasimanwas will
they employ? Is that a justifiable exchange for the massive loss of their
lives and wanton destruction of their property and environment? Are human
lives to be equated with a few pieces of gold? Where do justice and
righteousness come in because this is a blatant disregard for a person's
right to his life and property?"
After so many years of waiting for a Presidential proclamation to make the
Northwest Panay Peninsula a Natural Park, President Macapagal-Arroyo finally
granted it last April 25, 2002. She declared the site as a "protected area"
due to its importance as the only source of potable water for three
municipalities; has the last significant tracts of lowland rainforest within
the West Visayas Biogeographic Region; it harbors diverse species of both
flora and fauna that include critically endangered birds and mammals unique
to Panay Island; and it was identified as an Extremely High-Urgent site for
conservation of the county's biological diversity. The area has also been
described as "one of the precious jewels of the country" (Philippine Headline
News Online, April 25, 2002).
The President's proclamation has supposedly ensured the protection of our
Northwestern Panay Peninsula. But that didn't stop NAPOCOR from proposing to
build a power plant near the "protected area." NAPOCOR does not have any
ownership and kinship to the land and no feeling of belonging to it, so it
doesn't care whether our Natural Park and its significance to us eventually
gets destroyed. But for us, it's losing a part of what we are.
We have gathered sufficient research to convince us of the devastating
effects of a power plant to the environment. We also have statistics to prove
that countless people have paid a heavy price with their health and their
lives from pollution due to diesel exhaust. Here's from just one source
alone: "Fine particles are a mixture of a variety of different compounds and
pollutants that originate from power plants." "Children, the elderly and
people with existing respiratory diseases face the greatest risk from
exposure to the fine particles, according to several scientific studies cited
in the report." "More people die as a result of the pollution from these
plants everywhere than from drunk driving and homicide."(Clean Air Task
Force, "Death, Disease and Dirty Power," Oct. 17, 2002).
PAGTATAP are the Pandananons who are taking care of their less fortunate
kasimanwas so they don't get lost in the rubble, thrown to the wolves, or
brought to slaughter. We reach out to them and say, "We're here." We make
sure they are safe in their own home, in their own land and in their own
world.
Our Pandananon pride has been provoked and we will only be appeased if and
when NAPOCOR gives up the idea of a power plant in our domain. We are saying
"NO" to NAPOCOR and this not negotiable. The few who are in favor of the
power plant are the misguided souls who get blinded by false gold and empty
promises. But their day of reckoning will come.
As our Governor, please ask NAPOCOR to take its power plant elsewhere. We
don't want it in Patria. We don't want it anywhere in the Northwest Panay
Peninsula. If we fought hard to block the Semirara dumpsite, we will fight
harder yet to stop NAPOCOR from building that diesel power plant in our area
because our very own lives and precious land are at great risk.
"Justice is to give to every man his own." (Aristotle). This is all we ask,
and this is all we want. This is not too much to ask because we (our
kasimanwas) do not have much. But for what we are and for the little that we
own, it's the breadth and width of our existence. It has always been ours
anyway, so how can we be wrong? How can it not be fair and just? Please let
us keep our own. Let justice and righteousness prevail.
Very truly yours,
(Sgd.) Robert Peter Alojipan, M.D.
President, PAGTATAP Foundation
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