Ibaloi mountain community has all free power it needs

By Jojo Riñoza

SAN MANUEL, Pangasinan – As a crippling power crisis looms all over the country, somewhere deep in the remote mountain ranges surrounding the San Roque Dam reservoir lives a community of Ibaloi settlers who enjoy a continuous supply of electricity – and it’s free.

In SitioPhengbasan, the community has developed its own electric source independent of any power grid – micro hydropower.

And it was vital that it is situated at barangay Dalupirip in Itogon, Benguet where the Balog creek meets the Agno River.

Micro hydropower is generated through a process that utilizes the natural flow of water. It is one of the simplest forms

in making energy or electric power that is effective, reliable and cost-effective.

Germie Kiyas, one of the settlers learned about this technology and suggested it to the community.

Diaz Garcia, also a resident of Phengbasan, bought the idea and, from personal funds, acquired the needed AC (alternating current) generator dynamo worth around P6,000. Other settlers chipped-in to buy other materials needed like the long irrigation hose that would channel the water source to the dynamo.

The single dynamo generates about 7 KVA or 7,000 volt amps that was more than enough to continuously use light bulbs, cellphone chargers, transistor radios and other small appliances of the 15 households of Ibaloi settlers, mostly fisher folk along the watershed and gold panners on the Agno River.

Environmental Planner and Forester Tommy Valdez, Vice President of San Roque Power Corp. for corporate social responsibility, hailed these initiatives by the people living around the San Roque Dam reservoir. “This is a welcome development. With the advent of the renewable energy resource this technology should be maximized; mini-hydro, macro hydro, bio mass, solar should all be maximized.” Valdez said.