Led by Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa, around 10,000 Filipinos from various church groups, concerned citizens, and civil society organizations marched to call for a moratorium on new coal plants in the country.
With less than a week to go before elections, demonstrators demanded the next administration cancel all proposed coal-fired projects and shift to renewable energy.
"We are facing a planetary emergency. Now more than ever, we need leaders who are pro-people and pro-environment, not pro-coal and pro-climate change," Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said May 5.
The prelate, along with local fishermen and women and other social movements, are currently leading a fight against the building of a 600-megawatt coal plant in the city's Pinamucan Ibaba village.
"It is immoral to burden future generations with pollution and the cost of mistaken energy choices made today. It is time to end the age of coal," he said.
The anti-coal march highlighted a national campaign called "Piglas Batangas! Piglas Pilipinas!" symbolized by the struggle against the proposed project of JG Summit Holdings.