A controversial windfarm project

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina P. Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- The community of Suquib in Besao located adjacent northern Sagada directly affected by the proposed 15 megawatt windfarm has this to say: they are against the windfarm and therefore any related consultations getting their consent or any information campaign about windmills and its supposed advantages better be stopped. Such are useless activities with already a firm stand of the people that they don’t like the windmills period.

This came in the conduct of validation of investigations earlier conducted by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. Said validation was facilitated by the NCIP on the process of securing approval or non-approval on the free prior and informed consent (FPIC) process on the windmill project proposed in affected communities of Besao including Suquib, Lacmaan and Agawa and Bangaan in Sagada done Feb. 5 to 8 last week.

In said consultations, the communities were supposed to plan for another assembly to hear the windfarm proponent Philcarbon talk about the windfarm’s advantages and what the project is all about.

In a radio program, Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) chairman Marcelo Daweg exhorted constituents of Besao and Sagada to consider the environmental effects of the proposed windfarm in deciding whether to go for or against the proposed windfarm atop Pilaw-Langsayan ridge. Regrets always come at the end as Daweg said so the need for wise decisions at the heels of a proposed windfarm come knocking at the door.

Speaking over Radio Sagada, the CPA chairman asked what happens to the water supply of the immediate communities near the proposed site when the windmills are built atop the Langsayan-Pilaw ridge.

The proposed site is a sensitive and critical watershed area which cradles water for northern Sagada barangays along with central Poblacion- Patay and Dagdag and the nearby communities of Besao including Suquib and Agawa.

Questions are high on the effect of the windmills on the watershed and water supply. Such questions remain questions needing answers from Philcarbon, the Manila-based proponent of the said windfarm.

In an earlier radio interview with Phil Carbon chairman engineer RufinoBumasang , he said he is not the right person to answer technical queries such as the length and depth of windmill turbines and foundation materials and effects on water systems.

While that is so, it is a standing analysis that the very building of huge wind turbines and the scraping off of trees from the mountain surface to accommodate the windfarm shall disturb the water system.

“Over my dead body” is what Robert GanoJr says about the building of the wind farm. The very idea of big turbine posts rolling along the streets of Sagada finding themselves in Pilaw and Langsayan and scraping off the mountain slopes to give way to the building of the windmills atop the ridge along with wiping off the peaks of growing trees to accommodate 10 or 20 turbine posts is too much to handle. Too much of a sacrifice on the water needs of the community.

It has always been hammered in elementary school on to tertiary college buttressed by the sound environmental practices of elders that trees and a lustrous watershed cradle water and keep the mountains stable and intact.

How this basic rule and practice would be changed overnight on promises of income for the community dangled with some percentage shares on the income generated from the energy plant are hazy enough a proposal where a water base is hit.

Water is a basic and crucial need with the Langsayan and Pilaw watershed cradling this for a long period of time. Other sources of water are the Boasaw creek which up to now remains a question where now is the P36 million Tanulong irrigation project designed to provide water for ricefields of northern Sagada and domestic water for SagadaPoblacion?

Anyway, what is the assurance that the Pilaw-and Langsayan watershed shall not be disturbed when the windmills shall be built? The very thought is too much of a sacrifice over what seems to be nothing significant coming back for communities of Sagada and Besao except a threatened water supply and a disturbed watershed along with pastured animals and fisheries near the vicinity of the proposed windmills.

In CPA’s radio program, Tangguyob, Daweg aired the question on who shall benefit in the building of said windfarm project. That is, who gets the carbon credits?

Obviously, because a company is going to invest big time in this multimillion project, with a staggering 24.8 million US dollars per megawatt , Philcarbon is going to get the carbon credits in order to get its investment back. Why should it not? Any business-related company to be able to survive has to get its capital back and the carbon credits are one big source of money coming back to the company.

PhilCarbon who is proposing the building of a 15 megawatt windfarm expects to receive carbon credits.

Carbon credits represent monetary exchange for companies who emit carbon from their industrial activities and would offset this by buying carbon credits for one, from companies who build renewable energy plants. Its business as usual and scheming deals can be packaged so beautifully you can get duped.

European Carbon Fund for one, purchases carbon credits. One megawatt installed of wind energy creates a yearly carbon revenue of 15,000 to 20,000 Euro in hard currency.

PhilCarbon president Ruth Owen in an interview May last year during the consultation in Bangaan said PhilCarbon is entering into the windfarm project because of the availability of carbon credits.

“Stop dreaming,” my friend Aklay says. “Would the community ever be the one to get this carbon credits? Should we entertain the idea of negotiating that we get a part of it? Come on, stop dreaming.”

Daweg said Mountain Province does not need additional energy. Mountain Province consumes 4 megawatt s of electricity sourced from NAPOCOR fed in transmission lines to households by MOPRECO.

Questions persist for the hungry mind while others are already fixed on their position not to entertain the windmills.Others obviously are for the money. A small pathetic pittance of it.

Daweg appeals to the public to send their opposition against the windmill to the office of the NCIP and to Philcarbon.