LAOAG City, Ilocos Norte – Coal mining has seen better days here after local officials have approved a resolution declaring Ilocos Norte as the country’s first-ever coal free province.
The move was Ilocos Norte’s way of showing support to the national government’s commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) through the Conference of Parties 21 (COP21) to reduce carbon emissions by 70% from expected levels in 2030.
Authored by environment committee chairman Mariano Marcos III, the resolution has declared Ilocos Norte as a “clean, green and coal-free province.”
The board encouraged all two cities and 21 municipalities of the province to refrain from issuing coal permits. (Freddie G. Lazaro)