ITOGON, Benguet – The municipality will soon host the operation of two hydro power plants with a combined output of 1,600 megawatts to help in providing the required supply of renewable energy to the Luzon grid and maximize the use of the town’s hydro resources for the country’s energy self-sufficiency.
Mayor Bernard S. Waclin said that the said projects will be pursued by a reputable renewable energy developer with the use of modern technology that will guarantee the maximum use of the existing hydro resources to boost overall development in the host and neighboring communities.
Barangays Dalupirip and Ampucao will serve as the host communities of the two power plants with a maximum output of around 800 megawatts each.
Initially, the host barangays and the municipal government already issued their respective endorsements for the said project after the conduct of extensive consultations with the concerned sectors for more than a year now.
Aside from the water that will be piped from the river systems below the host barangays, the proponent will also pump up =the water from the San Roque dam to be able to generate the necessary output that will enhance the supply of renewable energy to the Luzon grid to help in reducing the prevailing high power cost and maximize the potentials of the town’s water resources in generating cheap power.
At present, Itogon hosts the ongoing operation of the 140 megawatt Binga hydroelectric dam in barangay Tinongdan which is located upstream of the San Roque dam along the mighty Agno River.
Waclin described the area where the power plants will be situated to be inhabited and distant from communities that is why there will be no displacements or damages that will be inflicted to life and limb.
However, he still advised the proponent to first survey the area where the projects will be located for them to ensure that there will be no private properties that will be affected and no people to be displaced.
The mayor added that if there will be private properties that will be traversed by the project, then the proponent should ensure that they negotiate with them to guarantee that there will be no unnecessary delays in the implementation of the said projects once it will be provided with the necessary permits and clearances by concerned government agencies.
He claimed that the barangays and the municipality will definitely benefit from the eventual operation of the said power plants because of the employment that will be generated during the construction period, the economic activities and sources of livelihood of the people that will be enhanced and the taxes that will accrue to the coffers of the local governments among others.
He assured the people of Itogon that the endorsements of the project passed through stringent scrutiny by the concerned sectors, representatives of concerned government agencies and the local government and various organizations in the municipality prior to being issued for the sake of transparency and accountability. By Dexter A. See