Central Luzon farmers to protest nuke plant, dam project on Earth Day

MANILA, Philippines - The Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL) has reiterated its opposition to the opening of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), the Balog-Balog Dam and other infrastructure projects in the region that are destructive to the environment and would affect the people negatively. AMGL leaders said they have firmed up actions to express their solidarity with other groups rejecting the power plant and the dam project like the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Gitnang Luzon (Bayan-GL) and the Network Opposed to Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Revival (NO to BNPP Revival) as the nation commemorates Earth Day. Bayan-GL chairman Roman Polintan said AMGL would take the lead in a picket of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) office in Nueva Ecija on Monday morning, April 20, to dramatize their opposition to the Balog-Balog Dam project in Tarlac. This will be followed by a forum on BNPP, large dams and mining in the afternoon of the same day to be held at Iglesia Filipina Independiente’s St. Jerome ’s Pro-Cathedral in Baloc, Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija. Polintan warned the revival of the mothballed nuclear plant in Bataan is a potential hazard to the health and safety of the people of Central Luzon as well as to the environment. He rejected the claim of government geologists that BNPP does not sit on an active volcano and is not susceptible to possible volcanic eruptions. The militants noted that a study undertaken on the geology of the BNPP and Subic by a group led by Dr. Kelvin Rodolfo concluded that an active fault in the general has been moving and could pose a threat on the BNPP. AMGL said the Balog-Balog Dam, which consists of a hydropower, irrigation and flood control facility and covers an area of 39,150 hectares spanning eight towns and Tarlac City would inundate 14 sitios and communities along the three rivers of Malilit and Tangan-Tangan in Barangay Maamot, San Jose and Buboy River at Capas, Tarlac, It would displace 500 families, mostly members of the Aberlin and Umay subgroups of the Aeta minority. On April 22, the group will join a mobilization in the National Capital Region (NCR) to commemorate Earth Day, Polintan said. He added that a joint dialogue between their group and the Tarlac Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), along with the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Capas and San Jose and the NIA would be held on Thursday, April 23. AMGL said it would air the farmers' opposition to the dam project, insisting the project is being pursued without consultation with the public. Another dialogue with party-list groups on the issue will be held on April 27. - GMANews.TV