Wind farm contract signing on but folk’s consent needed

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province – The signing of a contract of Phil Carbon with the Department of Energy will be held this month following application of the former May this year for a 648 hectare wind farm project at Pilaw Ridge at the boundary of this tourist town and Besao, reports said.

This, despite the absence of “free prior and informed consent” (FPIC) requirement of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) aside from an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC).

Vice Mayor Richard Yodong said necessary requirements have to be complied with before the project shall be given consent by affected communities.

Phil Carbon chairman engineer RufinoBumasang and president Ruth Owen earlier visited Sagada and Besao to distribute books and talk with local officials about the project.

Phil Carbon is one among six applications on wind energy due to be signed this month.

Most of these proposed wind farms are found in Ilocos Norte.

With other two contracts for solar and the six wind energy contracts combined, it reaches an initial investment of $82 million ( around P3.5 billion) within a two year period.

Government sources said the solar contracts would be worth $20.5 million and the wind reaching $61.5 million with a generating capacity of 6,000 megawatts.