DIGOS CITY — The Tugaska-Davao del Sur (Tingog Ug Gugma Alang Sa Kinaiyahan-Davao del Sur) has started airing protests against the building of a coal-fired power plant by the Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) in the municipality of Malalag in Davao del Sur.

In a statement released Tuesday, Tugaska called on local government units (LGUs), environment groups, the church, and the people of Malalag and its neighboring towns to come together and fight the putting up of a coal power plant in the said town.

Bernard Vinan, Tugaska deputy secretary general, said the mining firm will use the power plant in running its machinery, separating water and mineral ores from tailing pipes in its mining area in Barangay Kimlawis, Kiblawan town, this province.

The power plant will occupy at least 100 hectares of farmlands within the barangays of Malalag Poblacion, Baybay and Bulacan, Vinan said.

He said SMI is offering all land owners, mostly farmers, to be affected by the planned coal-fired power plant an “option to buy” their properties with a down payment of less than 5 percent of the land’s worth which is pegged at P1 million per hectare.

He said the firm will start using the land after the initial payment.

However, if SMI ceases its operations and discontinues use of the land, the company will return the land to the owners which, by that time, would no longer be usable, said Vinan.

The group warned the power plant could contribute in worsening global warming as it produces greenhouse gases and contribute a threat to the environment.