SPECIAL REPORT | Frontlines of resistance: Northern Mindanao’s struggle for climate justice
Cong B. Corrales of Mindanao Gold Star Daily / Patricio P. Diaz Fellow
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 07 September) — A proposed 600-megawatt liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, once poised to be a major energy source for the Philippines, was shelved on in June this year following an eight-year campaign by a coalition of local communities, environmental defenders and other civil society organizations.
The communities in Kauswagan were initially unaware that there was an LNG plant to be constructed, since it was to be situated beside the existing GN Power coal plant, and they thought it was an expansion of the coal plant.
On February 21, 2025, a multisectoral group including those representing fisherfolk and the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) handed their letter of complaint to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau in Northern Mindanao (EMB-10) office in Cagayan de Oro.
DENR-EMB-10 e-mailed PMCJ on June 15, 2025, providing a copy of a memorandum it sent to the DENR-EMB Central Office detailing the actions taken in response to a complaint letter from PMCJ and several other individuals and organizations. It noted that GNPower Ltd. Co. (GNP) responded that it would no longer pursue the LNG project and would take steps to withdraw it from the DOE’s list of Mindanao Indicative Power Projects.The victory in this coastal town has become a rallying cry for a growing grassroots movement, positioning Northern Mindanao as a new frontline in the national fight for climate justice.
The victory in this coastal town has become a rallying cry for a growing grassroots movement, positioning Northern Mindanao as a new frontline in the national fight for climate justice.
The cancellation of the multi-billion-dollar project, which was slated for construction on Kauswagan’s coastline in Lanao del Norte, marked a significant setback for the government’s push for fossil fuel expansion.
For activists, it was a testament to the power of collective resistance against large-scale extractive industries that threaten both the region’s rich biodiversity and its vulnerable populations.
For Rosalinda Calaca, of the Tacub Homeless Initiative in Keeping its Rights, a victory for the environment is just the beginning.
The organization, based in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, views the legal win as the first step in a long battle for the sustainability of livelihoods dependent on the health of the coast.
“The victory is just the beginning of what we see as a protracted battle. We have prepared ourselves for it,” Calaca said in Cebuano.
Calaca and her members, who are informal settlers, were displaced from their fishing communities along the coast and relocated to the mountains due to the construction of the GN Power Coal Plant in 2014.
Despite being displaced, they continue to fish, even as the health of the sea is at risk from the ongoing presence of the coal plant.
Northern Mindanao is both a treasure trove of ecological richness and a target for energy development, making it a critical flashpoint in the national climate change narrative.
The region’s strategic location and abundant natural resources have made it attractive to developers seeking to build new power plants, mining operations, and other large-scale projects.
Energy landscape
Mindanao’s power grid has a total installed capacity of 4,614.5 megawatts (MW) and a dependable capacity of 4,020.4 MW according to a recent overview of the Department of Energy.
The grid’s energy sources include coal, diesel, biomass, geothermal, solar, and hydroelectric power.
According to the list of the Department of Energy, these are:
- Coal-fired power plants which provide the largest share of the grid’s capacity, with a total installed capacity of 2,268 MW and a dependable capacity of 2,041 MW. Major operators include Filinvest Development Corp., SPI Power Inc., and Therma South Inc. Notable plants are the FDC Misamis units (135 MW each) and the Mindanao Coal units (116 MW each);
- Diesel power plants which contribute 833 MW of installed capacity and 708.3 MW of dependable capacity. Key operators include King Energy Generation Inc., Southern Philippines Power Corp., and Mapalad Power Corp. Significant plants include TMI 1 and TMI 2 (100 MW each) and the MPC-Iligan Diesel Power Plant (114.4 MW);
- Hydroelectric power accounts for a total installed capacity of 1,222.7 MW and a dependable capacity of 1,059.2 MW. The National Power Corporation operates major plants like Agus 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. Other notable plants are Pulangi 4 (255 MW) and Manolo Fortich U1 (45.9 MW);
- Geothermal plants with a total capacity of 112.1 megawatts MW and a dependable capacity of 106.3 megawatts MW. The largest plants are the MT Mt. Apo-EDC Geothermal Power Plant (108.5 MW) and the Mindanao 3 Binary Geothermal Plant (3.7 MW);
- Biomass power plants provide 94.9 MW of installed capacity and a dependable capacity of 37.4 MW. Operators include Lamsan Power Corp. (15 MW). and Biotech Farms Inc. (5.96 MW);
- Solar power adds 83.8 MW of installed capacity and 68.2 MW of dependable capacity. Key projects include the Digos Solar plant (28.6 MW) and the Kibawe Solar plant (10.5 MW).
The grid also includes energy storage systems with a total capacity of 141.8 MW and a dependable capacity of 136.1 MW. Notable systems are the TMI Hybrid Diesel-Battery System (49 MW) and various battery energy storage systems in Davao de Oro and Misamis Oriental.
In Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental, FDC Misamis Power Corp., a subsidiary of developer Filinvest, has commenced construction of additional 405 MW with three new units to its coal-fired power plant in Misamis Oriental province, the company announced.
The plant, which began operating on Sept. 22, 2016 with a ceremony attended by then-President Rodrigo Duterte, has a total planned capacity of 405 MW. The plant consists of three units, each with a capacity of 135 MW.
According to FDC Misamis, the electricity generated by the first two units will be sold to 17 electric cooperatives that serve Misamis Oriental and other parts of Mindanao. The project costs an estimated P30 billion.
Still in Villanueva, the Department of Energy is reportedly reviewing plans to extend the operational life of the Mindanao Steag power station, a 232-megawatt coal-fired plant located in the Phividec Industrial Estate in Villanueva.
Steag’s operational life is 25 years. It started operations in 2006, and will end in 2031.
It was identified as one of the coal plants to be retired early under the Energy Transition Mechanism in 2026. But since the Agus Pulangi Hydropower Complex (APHC) is scheduled for rehabilitation starting 2026, the Department of Energy is considering extending Steag’s operational life to the original schedule in 2031 to offset the loss of energy produced by APHC.
The potential extension aims to offset an expected electricity shortfall if the Agus and Pulangi 4 hydroelectric plants undergo rehabilitation.
According to the government-approved Climate Investment Fund Accelerating Coal Transition Program Investment Plan of 2023, the Asian Development Bank planned to help facilitate the early retirement of the power station.
At the time, the plant was the “only remaining government-owned coal asset in the Philippines.” An exact retirement date has not been specified.
In June 2024, the Department of Energy sought to use newly approved funds from the Climate Investment Fund to retire the plant by 2027. The funding would help retire and repurpose up to 900 megawatts of coal capacity.
However, reports from July and August, last year suggested alternative retirement dates of 2026 or 2028.
The data highlights the importance of renewable energy sources and the diversification of Mindanao’s energy mix, showcasing the development of the region’s power infrastructure.
“The potential of Mindanao is correct. The problem is, the process of developing them entails a lot of hassles because one has to prove there is an off-taker. Meaning, an actual supply agreement,” Clint Django Pacana, Agropolis S&T Park Manager, said.
The concept for the Agropolis development, which envisions the creation of a food city, is focused on sustainability. To spearhead the project’s energy needs, Pacana organized the Agropolis Renewable Energy Institute.
The institute, which is under the University of Science and Technology in Southern Philippines, aims to develop appropriate technology for power generation that would be owned by many, “not the usual capitalist oligarchs.”
Fisherfolk protest
On May 31 this year, fisherfolk of Villanueva, called for a mass action in commemoration of National Fisherfolk’s Day, to protest decades of policies they say have marginalized small-scale fishers and degraded the environment.
Among those who protested was Gloria Abe-abe, the focal person of Old Balacanas Farmers Association, based in Villanueva ― the host town of FDC Misamis and Mindanao Steag.
“Every year these companies operate in our town, our fish catch has been nose-diving,” Abe-abe said.
Abe-abe said they used to earn at least P2,000 a day for their fish catch before the plant was constructed. Now, she considers it a “lucky” day if they could sell P500 from what they catch.
Critics argue that the national energy policy often prioritizes quick-fix solutions like LNG, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, over a long-term, just transition to sustainable and renewable energy sources.
This disconnect, they say, creates significant environmental governance gaps, where community rights and ecological health are often overlooked in favor of economic interests.
Ian Rivera, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) national coordinator, said these policies — rooted in frameworks promoted by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank during the Marcos regime and upheld by subsequent administrations — have contributed to declining fisheries, weakened livelihoods, and worsening environmental degradation.
“The struggle of all marginalized sectors is rooted in the enactment of neoliberal laws, and the impact on artisanal fisherfolk is not an isolated case,” Rivera said.
A 100% renewable energy source for Northern Mindanao is possible and achievable, according to local energy experts.
For example, even at 30% capacity, the Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Complex is sufficient to provide all the electricity needs for Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, and Cagayan de Oro City, according to Pat Jared Pangantihon, PMCJ Policy and Communications officer.
“A full rehabilitation of the complex to 100% operation would be more than enough to power the region and possibly other nearby provinces,” he said.
Pangantihon added that while hydroelectricity is a major contributor, other renewable energy sources, such as solar, also show high potential for growth in the region.
A study commissioned by PMCJ in partnership with the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines found positive results regarding potential renewable energy sources in Misamis Oriental.
The findings suggest that Northern Mindanao is ready to transition to renewable energy. This means there is no longer a need for the existing coal-fired power plants in the region, much less to expand their capacities, which is currently ongoing.
Based on the study, in Misamis Oriental alone there is an available capacity of 15 MW for hydroelectric, 8.31 MW for rooftop solar plates of municipalities, 1,298 of shrub-land conversion for solar power, for a total of 1,321 MW.
“The policy leading the development has been mangled by the oligarchs for control and to prevent others to undertake and invest on,” Pacana said.
While the celebration over the Kauswagan victory continues, the broader struggle is far from over.
Environmental defenders in the region remain vigilant, monitoring other potential projects and advocating for policies that prioritize a just transition to renewable energy.
The resistance here is not just about blocking new fossil fuel projects but about creating a vision for a future powered by clean, locally controlled energy that respects both people and the planet.
[Cong Corrales / Mindanao Gold Star Daily. This story was produced under the Patricio P. Diaz Fellowship Program, implemented by the Mindanao Institute of Journalism and MindaNews under the Media Impact Philippines project. The program is supported by International Media Support (IMS) and co-funded by the European Union and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).]
No comments:
Post a Comment