Wind farms around the PH to visit on your next road trip
Over the years, I’ve revisited the Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal on various road trips—mostly by motorcycle, other times with friends and family after food-tripping in Tanay, and just recently in May 2023 by bicycle through the back roads of Sierra Madre as a quick escape to beat the heat in Manila.
Wind farms are popular with cyclists and motorcycle riders because of the journey getting there, the unique photo opportunities they offer, and as places to simply shoot the breeze and unwind.
For families with kids and students, wind farms also offer an educational experience to learn more about renewable energy.
Wind energy, or wind power, is created using a wind turbine, a device that channels the power of the wind to generate electricity.
The Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam were found to have the largest wind power capacity among 10 ASEAN member states, according to a 2017 report published by the ASEAN Centre for Energy cited by Asian Power, a website focused on power generation news.
However, a 2022 report by Energy Tracker Asia shows that while the Philippines has significant onshore and offshore wind potential, wind energy has remained largely untapped.
Wind energy, like solar energy, is a recognized clean and renewable energy source. It does not pollute the air, and as long as the wind blows, it can produce energy. Wind turbines can be built on open areas and thereby contribute to livelihood in rural areas. Wind farms can also serve as tourist attractions for sightseeing and recreation.
If you want to learn more about how renewable energy works, here are some places around the country with wind farms you can visit.
RIZAL
For those based in Metro Manila, the Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal, operated by Alternergy Wind One Corporation, is the most accessible wind farm you can visit. Roughly a 1.5- to 2-hour car drive away from the city depending on the traffic, this farm currently has 27 towering wind turbines, generating 54MW of clean energy. Road trippers can spot the turbines standing as high as 33-story buildings from various vantage points in Laguna and Rizal.
The site launched a visitor information center in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) which provides more information on renewable energy and view decks with vantage points for photo ops.
According to Alternergy, an average of 130,000 visitors travel to Pililla to visit the wind farm during Holy Week, increasing revenue streams for locals. Vendors have set up booths to sell snacks and souvenirs such as ref magnets, keychains, patches, stickers, pinwheels, and mini-wind turbines.
As of May 2023, almost all the roads inside the Pililla Wind Farm are completely paved, except for a few patches of gravel. There’s a trendy new minimalist cafe in the area called Cafe Grey inside Santi’s Farmhouse and nearby camping grounds like Windfarm Nature Escapes, which offer spacious grounds for car camping, overlanding, motocamping, and more.
ILOCOS NORTE
Traveling to Ilocos Norte any time soon? The Bangui Wind Farm, operated by the NorthWind Power Development Corporation, remains a popular stop for tourists to take photos with the 20 wind turbines measuring 70-meters high alongside a coastline facing the West Philippine Sea. Getting to Bangui Wind Farm takes at least a 10- to 14-hour long drive from Metro Manila.
The Wind Farm has boosted the local economy and businesses, with local farmers selling garlic and onions in stalls along the road, straight from their farms to tourists, along with the usual souvenir items.
Aside from the Bangui Wind Farm, there are two other wind farm projects in Ilocos Norte. The 150MW Burgos Wind Farm is currently the largest wind farm in the country and in Southeast Asia, with 50 wind turbines covering 600 hectares and three barangays of Burgos. Meanwhile, the Caparispisan Wind Farm, also known as the North Luzon Renewables Wind Farm in Pagudpud, has 27 individual wind turbines occupying a 625-hectare land area.
GUIMARAS
The island-province of Guimaras in Western Visayas, accessible through a boat ride from Iloilo, has embraced renewable energy as well. The 54MW San Lorenzo Windmills, operated by Trans-Asia Renewable Energy Corporation, is home to 27 wind turbines that stand approximately 123 meters tall.
While the wind farm is located in a remote area, far from the main town proper, it is often included as a photo op stop in Guimaras land tours. For those exploring on their own, the wind farm offers a great destination especially for cyclists and motorcycle riders circling the island.
MINDORO
Puerto Galera in Mindoro has a wind farm as well. The Puerto Galera Wind Farm, managed by Philippine Hybrid Energy Systems Inc. (PHESI), currently has eight wind turbines measuring 230 feet high. With turbines placed atop the mountains in Baclayan at almost 1,000 meters above sea level, the Puerto Galera Windmill Farm area offers a majestic view of the whole town of Puerto Galera and the beaches in the Verde Island Passage.
AKLAN
The Nabas Wind Power Project, operated by PetroWind Energy Inc., is another worthy stop for those traveling around the province of Aklan. Situated in Barangay Pawa, about 25 kilometers from world-renowned Boracay beaches, the Nabas Wind Farm is said to be the largest renewable energy facility on Panay island to date.
The farm currently consists of 18 turbines supplying 36MW of clean energy, while increasing the tourism potential of the once-sleepy town. The Nabas Wind Farm aims to provide new ecotourism and livelihood opportunities for the local government units and host barangays, as it continues to attract tourists, especially those coming from Boracay.
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