Bakun, Hedcor resume power plants’ operations

By Estefany Mae Tawagon

BAKUN, Benguet -- Hedcor resumed operations of its three hydro power here July 28 and these are now feeding power to the Luzon grid. This, following successful negotiation between Hedcor, 

Bakun Indigenous Tribe Organization (BITO), and local government officials here July 27-28 that paved operation of FLS, Lon-oy and Lower Labay hydros shut down last month.
     A Facebook post by the Mayor’s office of Bakun said the Bakun Ancestral Domain, Bakun Indigenous Tribes Organization and Hedcor, Inc. “finally settled their disputes through the assistance of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples - Cordillera Administrative Region, thereby, allowing the three hydroelectric power plant of Hedcor, Inc. located within the Ancestral Domain of Bakun to resume operations on June 28.”

Hedcor president and COO Rolando Pacquiao expressed his gratitude for the resolution and partnership since 1991 with the community of Bakun for another 25 years.

“We are very grateful that the BITO, LGU and the community have expressed their support over the resumption of our operations in Bakun. We are equally thankful for the support of the NCIP-CAR in opening the doors to dialogue, and to the community for the opportunity to sit down and talk so that we can work on a resolution.”

The agreement of the LGU and BITO leaders to combine the benefit shares from Hedcor’s LGU voluntary MOA proposal and supplemental benefits to the BITO paved the way for the resolution of LGU concerns and requests of the IP community.

With this, the Bakun community will collectively receive about 14 centavos per kWh of the generation of the Bakun Plants which is an aggregation of mandatory shares, voluntary benefits, and projects. 

This includes the DOE government shares, ER 1-94 funds, shares and projects outlined in the signed 2019 FPIC-MOA, and the agreed supplemental benefits last July 28.

Hedcor anticipates the official signing of the supplemental MOA, which will be followed by a cañao -- a ceremony conducted by IPs in Northern Luzon that signifies thanksgiving and celebration.

With the resumption of operations and the resolution of issues, Hedcor said it looks forward to completion of its FPIC (free, prior, informed consent) application and consequently, the release of its certificate of precondition by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

Hedcor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AboitizPower. Among these, Hedcor specializes in generating renewable energy from run-of-river hydropower systems.

Hedcor manages and operates 22 hydropower plants located in Ilocos Sur, Mt. Province, Benguet, Davao, and Bukidnon. They continue to supply the country with 278 MW of clean and renewable energy.

With 42 years of experience, Hedcor is one of the leading run-of-river hydropower operators in the Philippines.