SunStar + December 20, 2020 OUR beloved Negros Occidental is a province which we always take pride as the Renewable Energy Capital of the Philippines. Several cities within it are also being recognized for various sustainability efforts--just last week, for example, San Carlos City and La Carlota City were 2 out of 10 cities in the Philippines awarded for their climate mitigation and adaptation in the One Planet City Challenge of WWF Philippines. Though there are still many environmental challenges our people face today, we Negrosanons are quite glad to call this province, and island, our home. This current status of being an RE capital, however, was the outcome of two decades of resistance against the entry of destructive fossil fuels. Five coal-fired power plants have been proposed across Negros, the most recent among which is a 300 MW project by San Miguel Corporation in San Carlos City. Horrors experienced by coal-affected communities beyond the island’s shores were something that we - Negrosanons - refused to allow ourselves or our future generations to go through.