DENR, DOE join forces with PH top tycoons in protecting Verde Island Passage

May 7, 2024 , 07:15 PM

By Briane Basa

(May 7, 2024) – The Environment and Energy departments on Tuesday agreed to work with three of the country’s top businessmen in protecting a key marine biodiversity area.

Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ramon Ang, and Sabin Aboitiz signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Environment Sec. Toni Yulo-Loyzaga and Energy Sec. Raphael Lotilla to safeguard the Verde Island Passage (VIP).

The VIP is a strait that cuts through mainland Luzon and Mindoro Island and is home to over 1,700 marine species and 300 coral species, according to the DENR.

Experts also call VIP the “center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity,” as 60% of the world’s shore fish species are found in its waters.

Under the MOU, a technical working group will determine the roles of each stakeholder as well as the funding they will provide for conservation efforts.

The DENR added that the MOU also provides for the establishment of a marine biological research station in the VIP and five provinces that encompass it, namely, Batangas, Marinduque, Romblon, and Occidental and Oriental Mindoro.

“We’re not experts in environment, so our role here is to support the experts and provide them resources, provide them funding, and most importantly, provide somehow the search for the talent to give us advice on what to do and support that implementation,” said Aboitiz, who is president and chief executive officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures.

The MOU will take effect for five years with possible extension.

LNG concerns

This agreement by Pangilinan, Ang, and Aboitiz comes after their $3.3-billion power deal in March.

The trio earlier agreed to launch the “first and most expansive” integrated liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in the country by jointly investing in the two power plants.

One of them is the Ilijan power plant in Batangas City, which is located along the VIP.

This has worried some critics, including the advocacy network Protect the Verde Island Passage (Protect VIP).

One of Protect VIP’s members, Krishna Ariola, questioned the sincerity of the MOU given the involvement of the three tycoons in the power deal.

“We do not need more fossil fuel power plants in the middle of this climate crisis,” said Ariola. “These three conglomerates can actually be at the forefront of the energy transition towards renewables, and yet they are still investing in LNG.”

The Energy secretary assuaged these concerns.

“As in contrast to an oil spill or a spill of cargo of coal, LNG is in fact much safer because the liquefied form gets to evaporate and does not affect the marine environment,” said Lotilla.

Pangilinan, who is chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, also emphasized that LNG will just be a transitory energy source.

“It will, thus, take us quite a bit of time to achieve that kind of desirable state where the Philippines would be carbon-neutral,” said Pangilinan. “Renewables for the meantime are not able to satisfy completely what this country needs in terms of a neutral carbon position.”

Ang, who is president and chief executive officer of San Miguel Corporation, added that the Ilijan power plant has never caused any untoward incident for the last 25 years of its operations.

“We will make sure that in the next 25 years, we will do everything to protect the environment in this area,” said Ang.

Citizen participation

Ariola added that the group had long tried to reach out to the DENR for protection efforts in the VIP, but the agency has yet to get back to them.

“Mas mabilis pa pala ang pag-protect ng VIP kasama ang mga negosyante kaysa kasama ang mga mamamayang Pilipino,” said Ariola.

The Environment chief, meanwhile, assured that the stakeholders will engage with local governments and communities, saying that they are in the frontlines of preserving the resources in the said waters.

“Our biggest challenge of course is to convince all stakeholders that becoming a protected area does not necessarily mean that you will not be able to take part in the sustainable development of the areas as well,” said Yulo-Loyzaga.

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