Residents sign manifest of support for coal supplier in Mariveles
MARIVELES, Bataan — More than 1,500 residents of this town have signed a manifest of support for coal supplier, Seafront Shipyard, which is now the subject of a petition initiated by a family in Barangay Lucanin.
Those who signed the petition said restricting shipments for coal minerals will further affect the operations of coal-fired power plants in the country, now beset by a shortage om electricity and, thus, accused the “instigators” of economic sabotage.
This development came after a family of two began drumming up support among misinformed individuals in their bid to stop the shipment of coal into the Seafront Shipyard and Port Terminal Services in Barangay Lucanin, here.
The move has earned the ire of most residents, including the barangay leadership who submitted their manifest of support to Mayor Jesse Concepcion.
Seafront Shipyard regularly supplies coal to Asia Pacific Energy Corp., which produces 400mw; Anda power plant, which produces 200mw; Bataan 2020, among others.
“It is not us who will suffer severely but it is the public (due to power shortage) if the shipment of coal is stopped just because of the whims and caprices of this couple,” said Seafront Vice President for Operations Carlo Virgilio Ignacio.
To attain the family’s objective, the couple went all the way to the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, but reportedly to no avail as Seafront Shipyard had been diligent in all its documentation.
Seafront has also vowed to heed the advice of the DENR Regional Office 3 to initiate further measures for the safety of the public.
Barangay officials of Lucanin headed by captain Jesselyn Empeño has passed a resolution of support for the company, to support its existence. “There is no problem so far with Seafront’s operation, except a family of two who were apparently sour-graping after their piggery was not given a permit to operate due to foul odor,” he said.