Mt Province to benefit from Hedcor power plant

By Alpine Killa and Andrew Dogaong

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Constituents are set to benefit from the first run-off river hydropower plant in the province –the Sabangan Hydropower Project of Hedcor.

Gov. Leonard Mayaen bared this saying the design of the power plant is least disruptive to the environment as river water is directed to a weir into conveyance pipes towards a penstock feeding it downhill to the power station. ”Mini-hydros are very environmentally –friendly. There will be no pollution that will disturb the beauty of the province.”

He added with the operation of the plant, host barangays will experience benefits, which will come through the firm’s corporate social responsibility focusing on education, health, livelihood and environmental programs.

Host communities will also be given shares from power generation aside from rentals or royalties for use of their lands and communal properties.

Mayaen said the province’s resources can be developed to bring progress to the community. “Mountain Province pride is our water asset. That is why we allow entry of companies with proven track records in hydropower development to help utilize the province’ rich hydro resources,” he said.

Hedcor planted a total of 71,332 trees during the almost two years construction of its Sabangan hydropower plant.

Hedcor report stated that some 32 hectares in the two project host barangays of  Namatec and Napua in Sabangan municipality and more than five hectares in adjacent barangays Monamon Norte and Maba-ay of the municipality of Bauko were planted with forest and fruit bearing trees.

HedCor’s construction manager Oscar Opena said their tree planting and reforestation program is part of the firm’s commitment to sustain and enhance the watersheds and headwaters stressing that these  are the  real life of hydropower generation.

Opena said most of the tree planting and reforestation programs were contracted to the families of the two host barangays wherein they will produce the seedlings, plant and nurture them up to five years.

Other participants to the tree planting activities were Hedcor employees, contractors, schools, the local government units of Sabangan and the communities.

Hedcor’s reforestation and tree planting programs is also in line with the National Greening Program  of the  government which  targets to plant  1.5 billion trees covering 1.5 million hectares for a period of six years up to 2016. 

The 14MW Sabangan hydropower plant, which started construction in June 2013 and  inaugurated last May 6, is expected to contribute 55 million kilowatt hours of clean and renewable energy annually to the Luzon Grid.