Hundred of residents of Smokey Mountain and other Tondo barangays, religious leaders, and environmental groups gathered on September 30 at San Pablo Apostol Parish Church in Manila to establish the Manila Anti-Incinerator Alliance (MAIA). Held in observance of the Day of Action Against Incineration, the gathering opposed the plan to build a ₱26-billion waste-to-energy (WTE) incinerator in Barangay 128, Smokey Mountain.

The project is a 100-megawatt WTE incineration plant promoted by the Manila Integrated Environment Corp. (MIEC), a company controlled by Philippine Ecology Systems Corp. (PHILECO) owned by businessman Reghis Romero II. It is supported by the Japanese company Kanadevia Corporation, and will be constructed under the large-scale Port Modernization along the Manila port.

The plant is among the priority projects of the Marcos regime and the local government of Manila led by Isko Moreno. Experts warn about the healh hazzards from the incinerator’s smoke emissions. In addition, its construction will displace more than 2,000 families or 23,000 residents and vendors from the site.