Sec. Garin says all environmental laws must be complied
TACLOBAN CITY – Environment advocates and local officials in Calbayog City have raised strong opposition to the construction of a P20-billion wind power farm inside the Calbayog Pan-as Hayiban Protected Landscape (CPHPL), warning of its potential ecological and community impacts.
The Save Calbayog Rivers Foundation–a Concerted Effort (SACRIFICE) said the project, which will involve the installation of 38 wind turbines across 13 barangays, would cause irreversible damage to the 7,832-hectare protected area. Two barangays in the town of San Isidro, Northern Samar will also be included in proposed project.
“Turbines are sources of noise pollution. Wildlife habitats will be disturbed or destroyed. Our watershed, which supplies communities with water, will suffer collateral damage,” the group said in a statement. “Clearing old growth forest and conducting construction and drilling operations will increase risks of landslides, rockslides, and flooding.”
Calbayog City Mayor Raymund Uy also voiced his opposition, stressing that activities inside the CPHPL—which was declared a protected area under Republic Act 11038 on June 18, 2018—should not be allowed. He urged the revocation of a 2023 city council resolution endorsing the project.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, in a statement issued on Thursday, October 2, said the government is supportive of renewable energy but emphasized that all projects must undergo strict environmental scrutiny.
“Renewable energy projects may be developed in any location, including protected areas, so long as all regulatory requirements have been complied with, including crucially, an environmental compliance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” Garin said.
The Singapore-based Vena Energy, through its local subsidiary Gemini Wind Power Project, proposed the development, which will not only install wind turbines but also build access roads, drainage systems, bunkhouses, and other facilities. The project aims to generate 304 megawatts of renewable energy.
The project has been endorsed by Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan and Northern Samar Rep. Edwin Ongchuan, who earlier said it would boost local energy supply, create jobs, and generate income for the provinces.
However, environment groups and city officials maintain that placing the project inside a protected landscape poses long-term threats to biodiversity, water resources, and community safety.
JOEY A. GABIETA
