Interest group politics behind the proposed construction of the coal-fired power plant in Banate, Iloilo

Abstract

This study looked into the political dynamics of interest groups behind the proposed construction of the coal-fired power plant in Banate, Iloilo. Specifically, the study looked into how the interest groups define and value the environment, the strategies employed by the interest groups in their campaign, the resources utilized by the interest groups, how the interest groups behave within the alliance and the advocacy results of their campaign. The groups viewed the environment to be the surroundings that include biophysical, biological and other elements. The groups value the environment because of the benefits they can derive from it. The groups had given the same value and respect to the environment before and after the campaign. The strategics employed by the interest groups in articulating their interests with regard to the issue were community organizing, information and education campaign, mass mobilizations, networking and linkaging, tasking, research and analysis, and lobbying. The strategies that the groups employed were also reflective to what were suggested in the literatures. On the building of alliance, qith other interest groups, it is reflective of the trend among interest groups today-that is to build alliance in order to strengthen the campaign in pursuing their respective interests. The resources utilized in the duration of the campaign depended on what was available and demanded by the time. Mobilizable resources came from three major sources: the beneficiary constituency, conscience constituency, and the non-constituency institutions. The resources that were utilized by the interest groups in the campaign were material resources such as human resources, financial resources, information and institutions, and the non-malerial resources such as time, connections, experiences, influence, credibility and authority, and prayers. Interest groups within the alliance had varying levels of participation in the duration of the campaign. Aside from the strategies and resources employed by the interest groups in the campaign, the political environment also played major role in the results of the campaign. The interest groups viewed the up-coming 2004 elections as a big factor that influenced the results of the campaign.