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| Reservoir hydropower system /dam along the Agno River |
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| Similar agricultural lands here submerged by dams |
The Cordillera range is one of the watershed to Northern Luzon and the source to about thirteen major rivers. Its forest cover area is about 1.8 million hectares. It is rich in natural resources like minerals and raw materials. It also feeds several dams used for hydroelectricity and irrigation but mining operations are also billeted over the mountain’s forest covers.
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| Mambonong praying for blessings |
The projects such as the dams built for hydroelectric power and irrigation inundated hundred hectares of ancestral and farm lands displacing many people and indigenous tribes. Mines were opened which tunneled and flattened the mountains destructing its biodiversity. Eventually, these dams and mining projects triggered landslides, erosion, siltation, pollution, and damaged the environs of many communities. It created hatred, envy and divided the community. The government offered these projects as development but it was the multinational corporations and the imperial metropolis that benefited much from the projects. Corrupt officials, politicians, administrators, devious professionals and businessmen were the beneficiaries of these projects and the host communities fell as victims.
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| A reporter from a local tv station broadcasting from the Kipkipan stream |
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With the increasing power consumption of a rising population, energy source is needed to spin the economy. Hydroelectric power plants were built in the Cordilleras using dams but this project created dilemmas rather than sustainable development.
In the later years, private corporations constructed mini hydroelectric power plants using small weirs and run off river systems along small streams that produced 3 to 5 or more megawatts of electric power. This project gained support in some communities since this does not totally affect or destroy the environment. It is premised on clean technology and renewable energy source.
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| Community leaders and Elders forging a community corporation |
A corporation together with its investors successfully operated this kind of mini hydroelectric power plant and steered them to venture into reprocessing and managing bigger hydro projects. Other players came in and applied for the First Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) but as an analysis this process became a one sided sequence since the proponent company had money to hire lawyers, engineers, media and politicians to influence what is advantageous to the company. The host community was left with no legislature since even their councils or officials were predisposed. Other agencies who are supposed to facilitate the system favoring at least the environment were preoccupied with monetary considerations.
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| Trail leading to the stream |
Other corporations and their local partners along with their negotiators had the obsession of taking in huge profits without returning what is due to nature and the host community. Natural resources were used and extracted without transparency. Employment was not prioritized but politicized. Other corporations even tried to evade the Free Prior and Informed Consent then lean on politicians in endorsing there project.
In one community that is tributary to streams, a community enterprise was organized and started inviting investors who could work with them in putting up a mini hydro power plant through a cooperative system. One investor signified his interest to partner with the community organization. The proposed run-of-river mini hydro plant can produce 4 to 5 megawatts of electricity. If capable enough and if this partnership gains experience, they can operate a bigger plant downstream. The paradigm shift here is that the conditions or agreement in terms of benefits and opportunities derived from the operation of the facility favors the host community.
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| Potential for run off river or streaming hydro power plant |
This business of course needs billions of capital and technical capability but basing on the corporations who ventured into this project, they started from funds of the government and generous investors at the same time coaching the technology and transferring it to the company who are now raking the profit with the host community shared with the least revenue.
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| Siltation problem along rivers downstream |
Another corporation interested to develop the mini hydroelectric power plant is an electric power cooperative distributor. This cooperative if capable of building its own power source could also offer cheap electricity price since potential streams or rivers could be develop for hydro plants with the full participation of the host community and the member consumers themselves. It only needs proper management with the right, dependable and honest people to administer the procedure without any vested interest attached.
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| A micro hydro system use for home |
Most communities want progress in the sense that they should take part in the development of their natural resources with the concern that their environment, cultural practices, ancestral domain and the social responsibility initiatives be sustained.
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| A diversion and intake system in the upper stream with low environmental impact |
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