More than 70 residents from Barangays Bato, Awihao, and Daanlungsod gathered on Tuesday in protest against the planned expansion of Therma Visayas, Inc. (TVI), a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power. 

The demonstrators called on the company to comply with legal requirements by conducting a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) for the project.

The protesters submitted a petition to TVI urging the company to address concerns over the potential health risks posed by the expansion. 

“Toledo City is already home to eight coal power plants, the community cannot bear another power plant without knowing the long-term impacts on our health and environment,” said Estela Patalinghug, Visayas Coordinator of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ). 

Earlier this month, the Department of Health said that TVI had not yet submitted the required HIA for its planned third coal plant. 

Section 33 of the Universal Health Care Act mandates that projects posing significant health risks must undergo an HIA, and coal-fired power plants, classified as “environmentally critical” by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), fall under this requirement.