More on proposed Sagada windfarm

HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Whoever knocked down the anemometer installed by Philcarbon nearby Pilaw ridge obviously does not like the proposed wind farm that Philcarbon wants to build atop Pilaw-Langsayan ridge between the boundaries of Besao and Sagada. 

The wires that held the anemometer’s tower thus toppled the device from its reading location. The deed sent a clear and obvious message that the wind farm is not wanted though it was done in a destructive manner.

This, even before the consensus-building stage of the free prior and informed consent process of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.  

As noted in previous  community assemblies, people  have shown their  dislike on the proposed  wind farm including unclear answers on size of structures, and whether the turbines  would  destroy trees  on top of the mountain or not.

There have also been unclear and unsubstantial  answers of  the effect of turbines getting planted  deep down the ground and whether  these shall these hit water systems  and  disturb ground water.

Questions on whether turbine construction in the long run would induce landslides have not been answered by Philcarbon authorities considering northern Sagada had landslides in the past. Answers on questions on effects of wind propellers like vibrations have also been unclear.

           

Philcarbon has not answered questions well which would  have assured the people  water  systems would  not be  disturbed  or landslides would  not happen. Philcarbon has only said extensive studies shall be done “later” following its environmental impact assessment where it presented what the people already know on flora and the fauna of the proposed site and distance of springs from proposed turbines. 

 “Later” means after the FPIC is assured after the people have given their certification of consent to the proposed wind farm would the studies be undertaken.  There would be no studies if people will give a certificate of non-consent.  

Philcarbon, it is surmised, does not like to spend and go through the hastle  of doing extensive studies when people don’t want the wind farm anyway. Some communities particularly Agawa and northern barangays especially Fidelisan have already signified their position that they don’t like the wind farm.

Other affected communities of northern and central Sagada and affected barangays of Besao have also forwarded their hesitant and negative responses to the proposed windfarm as noted during the recent community assemblies.

What Philcarbon is doing is making the people reject the project.It also sends the message that Philcarbon is not being fair to the people for not  informing them of effects of the wind farm.

The revised guidelines of the NCIP are clear that the applicant should present the plan, program, project or activity that it seeks to undertake during the second assembly. The presentation should include the operation plan and the scope and extent of the proposal.

The most that Philcarbon has presented is that it shall make sure that it shall not hit the water systems with no studies to present that waters systems shall not be hit. This include s effect on aquifers.

Philcarbon can only say that they shall be building 10 turbines with a 20 x 20 footing area of the turbines.  The size of the  turbines are not yet   specifically identified as noted during the consultations as to how big, how tall, how small, how  gigantic such may be.

Philcarbon even as it applied for a 648 hectare is not also sure of how many hectares it shall finally utilize. At this stage where even physical plans are vague sets the situation that Philcarbon is not bullish and sure of its plans since it presented its plan a year ago.

How could the people rely on a corporation which does not even have a concrete and  well studied plan. The corporation faced the people May  last year when it promised an environmental study  and presented “studies” during the  second community assembly  third week of May this year.

The FPIC guidelines required the applicant to present the cost and benefits of the proposal to affected cultural communities but this was not done.  Prospects of electricity rate getting down were not clear and financial benefits of royalties were not laid down as to how much these were with no financial projections presented.  

The community does not even have information and knowledge of the total project cost and specific costs of turbines. How much the capital of Philcarbon is not known and how much the community will get is as vague considering there no answers of how many trees shall be cut down.

The second general assembly also required presentation of the perceived disadvantages or adverse effects to the community. The most that the applicant Philcarbon said were results of its environmental impact assessment with notations that landslides are not foreseen occurrences.  

How valid are these assessments without geological studies  not undertaken? Landslides had occurred at the proposed site and mitigating measures cited by the company were a nursery establishment and tree planting.

With all these  vague and superficial  environmental  assessments  that Philcarbon has  done , it went an “extra mile” of  doing a socio economic   study of what the  people need for  livelihood taking note of  trainings  for jam making and pottery making.

Anyway,  it’s going to be consensus building in the next two months since the conduct of the second general assembly last May 25. NCIP guidelines stipulates “affected communities shall be left alone to agree on their decision-making/consensus-building schedules and when to come out with their decision, employing  own traditional consensus-building processes, to further understand and discern the merits/advantages and demerits/disadvantages of the proposal in order to intelligently arrive at a consensus.”