SUAL–The proposal for the construction of a second coal-fired power plant in Sual has been officially rejected.

This was stressed by Sual Mayor Liseldo Calugay who said: “Kung ayaw ng aking mga kababayan ang bagong coal-fired plant ay hindi pupuede talaga.”

“I vow to the will of my people,” he added. The construction of a second coal-fired plant was earlier personally endorsed by former Mayor Roberto Arcinue.

Calugay also cited a municipal council resolution vehemently opposing the construction of a second coal-fired power plant. The resolution was forwarded to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Also opposed to a second coal-fired power plant was the Save Sual Movement composed of a broad coalition of the town’s citizens fighting for their environment.  

However, he said the construction of an international shipping port at Sual Bay proposed by a consortium of Filipino and foreign investors is widely supported by residents.

The project is now being discussed by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), National Economic and Development Authority, Pangasinan provincial government and the municipal government of Sual.

He said the municipal government already received several proposals from different investors interested to build the international shipping port, among them are businessman Ricky Razon and a certain Mr. Serafin.

Calugay said that he and the investors already held two meetings in connection with the project and in their second meeting, they decided to send a letter informing their intent to develop the project to President Rodrigo Duterte.

Meanwhile, Calugay said in an interview, that while Sual’s is a first class town, its infrastructure development does not show it.

“Paano masasabing first class e masisikip po ang aming mga kalsada. Sa sobrang sikip, dalawang tricycles hindi po puedeng magkasalubong“, he lamented.

Calugay said many of the barangays in Sual do not even have potable water and the residents still fetch water from the adjacent barangays. “The Sual Water District only serves the population in the downtown area,” he said.

Odder is the fact that the Sual Water District extended its water service to the adjacent Labrador while the people in different barangays of Sual still thirst for water, he intoned.

(Leonardo Micua)

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