Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior is seen anchored in the background during a Greenpeace press conference with Senator Miguel Zubiri in Manila Bay.

Greenpeace demands Filipino lawmakers to stop procrastinating and pass the Renewable Energy Bill that will help mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.

At a special media briefing coinciding with the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior’s visit to Manila last week, Greenpeace also hailed commitments from several legislators, like Sen. Miguel Zubiri and Sen. Pia Cayetano, to sponsor anti-coal resolutions in the Senate, which also call for the phase-out of coal-fired power plants and a significant uptake of clean, renewable energy instead.

“Unless the administration is able to discard its deadly and expensive fixation to coal power, then dark days are indeed looming ahead not only for the Philippine energy sector but also for vulnerable communities in the country who stand to bear the brunt of severe climate impacts, ” said Von Hernandez, executive director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

In a resolution filed last week, Sen. Pia Cayetano called on the Executive Department to adopt a program promoting less dependence on coal and encouraging the shift toward renewable energy. ” The Philippine government must reduce dependence on coal plants by adopting an energy program that would phase out over a period of time the utilization of power from coal plants. The Philippine government must adhere to a paradigm shift toward renewable energy,” said Cayetano.

The Renewable Energy Bill has been languishing in Congress for a number of years already and despite its certification by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as an urgent measure, its passage has not really seen much progress. Since Congress reconvened last April 28, the bill has yet to be tackled again on the floor in both Houses of Congress.

The Rainbow Warrior is in the Philippines to spearhead the Greenpeace “Quit Coal Tour” in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The tour aims to promote an energy revolution to stop climate change, which includes phasing out the use of climate-damaging coal and a massive uptake of renewable energy.