Dissent against Masungi wind project is misplaced
THE caretakers of the Masungi Georeserve have launched a publicity campaign to try to stop a planned 600-megawatt wind power project from going forward, nearly four years after it was first proposed. While the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. (MGFI) renders valuable service in looking after one of the country’s most important natural areas and has on numerous occasions rightly challenged unnecessary and potentially harmful development there, in this case, the group is unfortunately on the wrong side of the issue, both in their specific objections and in their approach.
The project in question is being developed by Singapore-based Vena Energy, a renewable energy developer with numerous projects across Asia, including several solar and wind projects in the Philippines. The Masungi project would be the largest wind power installation in the Philippines to date and would consist of several dozen turbines stretching across a substantial amount of the georeserve straddling Antipolo and Tanay in Rizal province. It would not be the first project for Vena Energy in the area; the company led the development of a 54-MW wind installation located near Pillila, Rizal, which has been in operation since 2016.
Earlier this month, MGFI representatives called for the revocation of all government permits and certifications already issued for the planned 600-MW wind project, citing the dangers posed by its turbines to local bird and bat species, as well as concerns that ground disturbance could trigger the collapse of sinkholes. In response, Vena Energy last week issued a statement detailing its adherence to the mandated processes of public consultation, informed consent and environmental review, a rather tortuous but necessary procedure that has taken almost four years to complete. The contrast between the way the two sides have handled the issue is indeed stark.
Honest and accurate
Although Vena Energy has already established an excellent reputation for carrying out due diligence and meeting legal requirements in its other projects here in the Philippines, as well as elsewhere in Asia, we did not take their statement at face value. Upon verifying the company’s assertions, however, we find it to be both honest and accurate. The project has been granted an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) by the DENR; has been properly registered and certified by both the Board of Investments and the Department of Energy; and was cleared for study by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, which eventually resulted in the required agreements of Free, Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) by the Dumagat and Remontado people of Antipolo and Tanay to allow construction and operation of the project in their ancestral lands. The project has also received clearances from the protected area management boards of the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape and the Kaliwa River Forest Reserve, as well as resolutions of support from the municipality of Tanay and several villages that would be affected by the project.
On the other hand, the Masungi caretakers have argued against the project with the long-discredited claim that the wind turbines will harm bird and bat species (scientific studies in the US and Europe have shown most birds and bats are smart enough to avoid them), and the equally unsupported claim that construction might cause sinkholes in the landscape. The latter concern has already been obviated by the construction plan, which avoids geologically sensitive karst areas where this kind of problem is most likely to occur.
Granted, there are potential concerns about wind farm installations that do need to be addressed, no matter where they are proposed. However, the time to raise these concerns is during the lengthy process of review and public consultation provided by law, not after it has been completed. Opting to try to discredit the process and raise some kind of public outcry instead discredits the dissenting points being raised.
The fact is that the Masungi area happens to be an excellent location for wind power, and the renewable energy generated will have numerous benefits. In addition, if it is constructed and operated responsibly, as it should be, the installation will actually help to ensure the further protection of the nature area simply by restricting access to a significant part of it. Rather than raise specious protests, the Masungi caretakers should instead support it and work with the developers and government agencies concerned to ensure the expected positive results are realized.