WATERSHED COALITION’S CRITICAL REFLECTIONS ON MASUNGI EDITORIAL

I WRITE this letter with a heavy heart and a profound sense of responsibility, prompted by your editorial titled “Dissent against Masungi wind project is misplaced,” published on Feb. 28, 2024. While I hold in high esteem the role of your publication in shedding light on pivotal matters, it becomes imperative to address and rectify certain inaccuracies and potentially misleading narratives in that editorial.

The Upper Marikina Watershed Coalition, representing over 80 civil society and scientific organizations, first united in 2020 to protect the watershed from quarrying interests. In the same spirit, many of our members and allies submitted a joint formal objection to the proposed wind farm project by Rizal Wind Energy Corp. and Vena Energy within the Masungi Karst Conservation Area. The joint petition was submitted to regulatory bodies and Vena Energy’s office in Makati City on March 5.

The editorial’s characterization of the opposition to Vena Energy’s wind project as baseless or misinformed fails to recognize the genuine and substantial concerns voiced by local communities, scientific experts and environmental advocates regarding the project’s potential repercussions on the area’s rich ecosystems, diverse wildlife and the livelihoods of Indigenous populations. This oversight diminishes the critical importance of engaging all stakeholders and conducting thorough environmental assessments in the pursuit of truly sustainable development practices.

Despite Vena Energy’s assurances about its adherence to protocols concerning public consultation and environmental review over an extensive four-year period, its delayed outreach to pivotal stakeholders, including the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc., casts a shadow over the openness and inclusiveness of its consultation process.

Significantly, Sen. Raffy Tulfo’s efforts to scrutinize the project’s compliance with regulatory requirements in November 2023 revealed discrepancies. In a meeting where this writer was an observer, Senator Tulfo confirmed from Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 4A Director Nilo Tamoria that there was no free prior and informed consent for the Rizal Energy Wind project at the time the drilling in the Masungi karst was caught.

Instead, a certificate precondition (CP) was presented. This was scrutinized by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) director in attendance for its vague terms and duration, which he said could be abused and misused. Moreover, the CP was allegedly signed by Indigenous people’s representatives, whose authority to sign was unclear, without the support of tribal documents.

Senator Tulfo also scrutinized the Presidential Proclamation 1636 National Park, Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary Protected Area Management Board resolution endorsing the Vena Energy project, revealing that the DENR failed to provide minutes of the meeting, details of the resolution’s process, or confirmation of the

identities of attendees and signatories.

As of today, Vena Energy and the DENR have not provided stakeholders and concerned citizens with copies of the purported environmental compliance certificate, environmental impact assessment, records of consultation and other relevant documents.

The editorial also dismisses concerns about wind turbines’ impact on bird and bat species, as well as the risk of triggering sinkholes during construction, as unfounded.

Scientific research supports these concerns. A study published in the Environmental Science & Technology journal found that wind turbines in karst regions can contaminate groundwater, altering water flow and quality. Chemicals from turbine construction also pose risks to surface water and groundwater. No less than the National Museum of the Philippines’ 2022 technical report on the Masungi Georeserve said disturbances to the karst ecosystem and surrounding watershed, due to its delicate nature, may result in “expensive consequences.”

Cursory research will show various scientific studies that detail the impacts of wind turbines on bats and birds. They include collision mortality, injuries, loss of habitat and roosts, unnatural decrease and alterations in activities, and displacement of populations. Windmills cause bird and bat deaths through collisions and can disproportionately impact populations of long-lived, slow-breeding birds like raptors and storks. A study by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research found adverse effects on endangered bat species in forested areas with wind turbines, recommending against wind power development in forests. Similarly, research from Harvard University emphasizes the significant environmental impact of wind farms and the need for careful site selection.

Furthermore, Vena Energy’s narrative, focusing narrowly on economic advancement and employment, misses the forest for the trees. True sustainable development cannot be achieved at the cost of ecological integrity and community welfare. The ecosystem services rendered by Masungi, from carbon capture and water filtration to local livelihood and place-making, represent irreplaceable treasures that must not be sacrificed on the altar of transient economic interests.

The juxtaposition of economic development against environmental stewardship is a misleading divide. Vena Energy’s proposal, poised within a delicate and critical ecosystem, prompts serious reflection on the authenticity of its sustainability claims. Alternative avenues to our renewable energy aspirations exist — avenues that do not compromise our ecological and societal values.

In conclusion, I echo the call for Vena Energy to earnestly consider relocating the wind farm project, aligning with the counsel of scientists, environmental advocates and community groups. History is replete with lessons on the irreversible damage inflicted on our natural world. Let us not be doomed to repeat it. The preservation of the Masungi ecosystem is not just a local concern but a testament to our collective commitment to stewardship for the prosperity of all beings today and in the future. With respect and hope for our shared future, Anna Maria Eliza Reyes Secretariat Upper Marikina Watershed Coalition umwcoalition@gmail.com